Here At My Side
by Nefus de Twilight
Summary: Book II of RTR. With a (literally) reborn Eris, the YuYu gang has babysitting duties and all the joy that comes with it. Maybe more so, as she gets under the skin of a certain fire demon. But what's with Will working for Koenma? Who's this Heidi?
1. Coda

**AN:** And so we begin the second exciting saga. I'm excited. Are you excited? I think I may just wet myself from how excited I am. XD

BUT, as we shall start anew, a fresh **Disclaimer** is in order: I in no way shape or form, except wishful thinking, own any character, place, tree, or sweet ass fighting move from YuYu Hakusho _except_ those that I dreamed up in my ever twisted mind. May we all fear what I come up with next.

**Full Summary That Doesn't Fit in the Little Box: **With a (literally) reborn Eris, the YuYu gang has babysitting duties and all the joy that comes with it. Maybe more so, as she gets under the skin of a certain fire demon. But what's with Will working for Koenma? Who's this Heidi girl? Is Kurama really a pedophile??

_"Life is better than death, I believe, if only it is less boring, and because it has fresh peaches in it."  
_—Alice Walker

* * *

Cool was the water dripping from the budding leaves of the trees, the wooden skeletons showing signs of life after the cold months of hibernation. Nostalgic brown eyes followed a handsome robin flutter and hop among the youthful greenery in its first stages of life. 

The sky had lightened from the murky grey of that early rainy morning. It would leak into silver blue with sunray highlights now that the days were growing longer, the sun no longer clocking out at six.

The coffee brown (with shots of latte) colored eyes blurred, disrupted from their soggy sky and earth watching. A long fingered hand flew to rub the attacked eye, wiping away the excess moisture with sudden fervor.

"GAH! That stings!!"

"Ducky?" A concerned female voice asked, replacing the steady beat of ball on foot that had induced Ducky's nostalgia. "What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Ducky alternated between blinking and rubbing, trying to get the picture of his crouching friend to focus. "I'm not! Stupid raindrop pelted me in the eye! Damn you water! Why must thee smite mine eye?!"

The girl fell back, laughing, and chucked her orange patterned soccer ball at him, nailing the sitting gangly boy in the shoulder. "Oh don't be such a drama queen! That tree kicked your ass the last time you tried to have a staring contest with it."

Ducky rubbed his shoulder with a pout-glare. "Talk about adding insult to injury…"

"Aww, my poor Ducky-kins." She stood and offered a hand up. "You'd better get up; didn't you just buy those jeans?"

"Yeaaaah…but they make my butt look big." Ducky shrugged, sighing dramatically. "Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah? What's up Duck-man?" Alex pulled on the unresponsive limbs of her friend. "Little help please?? I don't have a desire to be a corpse mover."

Ducky snapped back his arms; Alex fell in a heap beside him. "Du-ucky!"

"Alex, I miss Elf…" The teen pined tentatively; bouncing the dirt-smudged ball between his outstretched legs like a sad child wishing his imaginary friend would come back and play.

Alex took one look at the boy's pouty face and flung her arms around his slender shoulders. "Aww! I know, me too. It's just not the same around this place without Elf's devious mind to lead our mischief."

"Y'know I had this weird dream about her last night." He picked pieces of wet grass off the curved ball surface. "Kind of a memory actually. We were all kids, playing hide and seek here in Elf's yard."

Alex smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Man, those were the good times. Elf ruled at that game."

Ducky gave a lopsided grin. "Yeah, but I'm still the king of freeze tag!"

Rolling her eyes, Alex gave her friend a playful shove. "More like queen! Those were the only times you ever got inbetween someone's legs!"

Ducky pretended to be offended, mouth agape in a horrified gasp and hand on his chest. "That is so not true! Don't you remember—"

"All right I get it!" Alex chortled, pushing herself off the damp ground. "You are such a slut Ducky!"

He gave a sparkling, innocent smile. "You like it. You know you do-oo!" he sang, kicking the ball at her. "You'd so do me! Admit it!"

"Only 'cause you're so adorable when you talk dirty." She pinched his cheek.

"Ow! Hey!" Ducky rubbed the offended cheek. "Damnit woman, be gentle! You'll ruin my face."

Alex put her right foot on top on the ball, pulled it back, and popped it into the air to juggle with. "You're not fooling anyone with that damsel in distress act." She winked at him, keeping count of juggles between words.

"I—one—know—two—you—three—like—four—it—five—rough—sixth…"

"Oh dear, you've found me out." Ducky's deadpan sarcasm gave Alex the giggles, making her miss and need to start over. "Can't get anything past you, can I?" Ducky mused.

"You can try," Alex puffed, concentrating on hitting the ball just right. "I have a mind like a steel trap—you bastard!"

Ducky laughed at her as he stole the ball away, prancing across Eris' deserted front yard.

"Du-ucky!" Alex whined, chasing after him.

"Sorry to interrupt your frolic-fest," a gruff voice cut off their happy playtime. "But I need to talk to Elf. Now."

Ducky skidded to a halt, Alex bumping into his back. "Why should she talk to _you_?" Alex said, eyeing the unwanted intruder suspiciously. "I can't believe you're even trying Max, you got your ass handed to you."

Max glared at her and advanced slowly with his hands deep in his pockets. "Why don't you keep that nose of yours out of other people's business? Or maybe I need to demonstrate what'll happen if you don't?"

"What do you want, Max?" Ducky stepped in front of Alex, voice far from its usual perky and teasing quality.

Max stopped just short of an arm's length away from them. He grinned, letting out an obnoxious snort. "It's been a few days; I was being considerate in letting her have a while to cool off. I've decided to give her another chance after she apologizes."

"What?!" Alex shrieked, coming out from behind Ducky. "What sort of idiot do you take my cousin for?? She's not a love sick puppy anymore!" She poked the bigger teen in the chest, digging in with her nail.

Max grunted and shoved her away; Ducky steadied her by the shoulders. "Who said you could touch me? You ugly wench, I oughtta—"

"Leave her alone!" Ducky glared over Alex's head at the surly teen.

'Or what?" Max sneered. "You gonna _make_ me, eh queer boy?"

Disgusted, Ducky turned his back and tried to keep Alex from launching herself at him. "Don't you have some defenseless kid to pick on somewhere?"

"Yeah, I think I found him," Max laughed, pushing the slender teen roughly between the shoulder blades. "Come on! Let's play 'Uncle!' Or maybe 'Aunt?' Haha!"

"Knock it off Max!"

"What're you gonna do? Hit me?" He pushed Ducky again. grinding his teeth, the sandy-haired youth turned and pushed back.

Max only laughed at the effort. "Queer boy! Come on Gay Lord, all I felt on that one was the wind from your fairy wings!"

Seething, Ducky took a real swing, summoning pent up aggression to do the job. He was surprised to feel his fist hit its target, square on the chin.

Alex gasped; Ducky was lean, quick, and a lot smarter than he let on, but his only real advantage was the three inches he had over the bully. Max, on the other hand, was more built and hardened with brawl experience. There was really no contest between the two.

When Max spat out red tinted spit, it was all Ducky could do to run for his life. "You little shit…!"

He caught him by the collar and delivered such a punch it rattled Ducky's teeth and set his ears to ringing. Alex's screaming wasn't helping on the latter part.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" She tried pulling Max off to no avail.

Despite the imbalance, one should never take desperation lightly. There was an unexpected shift in the way Max had him pinned and somehow Ducky knew he'd be able to escape if only he could apply enough leeway.

With a warrior-like cry, Ducky kicked Max off and swooped down on him. Before either knew it, blood was spouting from Max's nose, the sound of the crack still in the water logged air.

Both of them stared at the splatter of blood on Ducky's hand, hardly able to believe it.

"Y-you broge my nose!" Max said through shattered nasal passages.

"Get the fuck out of my sight, you pansy!" Ducky growled out, countenance quickly changing with steely eyes and offensive stance saying he'd do more than break a nose.

Spitting out more mouthfuls of blood, Max gave one last glare and stalked away down the street. "I'll be back, you psychotic freak!"

Alex stood by, mouth agape at Max's so easily retreating back. "D-ducky?"

"Is he gone?"

She blinked, looking from the scary façade of her long-time, pacifist friend to the hard ass bully disappearing around the corner. "Uh—yeah…"

With a monstrous sigh of relief, Ducky fell to the ground, holding his hand. "Son-of-a-goose that friggen HURT! I thought he was gonna kill me Alex!"

Alex couldn't believe how fast he could switch gears and whine; she gave a laugh and hugged him.

"Ouch! Hey watch it!" Ducky blubbered, lower lip stuck out and trembling. Suddenly he screamed, jumping up and running around with his fighting hand shaking out in front of him. "EWW EWW EWWWWWHOOHOO!! I've got blood all over me!! Quick, Alex, find a lighter I need to burn my hand off!!"

Alex sighed. "Oh Ducky…"

…

An immeasurable distance away, there was a cracking of knuckles and a grin. Flicking wisps of pale hair from blue eyes, a boy in his late teens turned off the viewing monitor with a snap of the fingers.

"Show off." Muttered a blonde girl with her legs and arms moodily crossed as she sat in the corner, looking with a critical eye at the boy.

He shrugged, happily seating himself in top of the control board.

"Very impressive, Mr. Baker."

"Thank you, sir." Will nodded his thanks with an amiable smile.

A haughty snort from the corner; _Great, another golden boy…_

"Heidi."

The girl sat up, albeit a little reluctantly. "Yes, Koenma, sir?"

"Meet your new partner. William Baker." Koenma smirked around his pacifier. "Do try to get along with one another."

The two teens nodded; Heidi ground her teeth together. The prince must have been on his way to the living world; he hardly ever walked around in his teenage form. She hated him like this. It was harder to yell at him.

She stood, ready to leave and get away from the two of them. "If we're done for today? I have work to do."

Koenma sighed inwardly as she stalked out the door. "Try not to take her attitude personally."

"She doesn't like me." Will shrugged, trying to bite off a hangnail.

"I told you before," The prince smoothed his cape back. "Working for Spirit World isn't easy."

"And like I said before," Will hopped down to the floor. "I'd rather not sit in paradise with a guilty conscience. If I can put my skills out there to help people, I'm obligated to that responsibility."

Koenma nodded, understanding, and motioned for the boy to follow. "Your gifts _are_ impressive. What else can you do? Besides move matter and transfer energy?"

"Slow or speed up time, but that's more of a mental state than anything." Will looked sideways at the prince as they walked through the halls of the Spirit World office building. "You already knew that."

Koenma gave a devious smile. "Of course. Now where's that blasted ogre? Ogre!!"

A blue ogre came running, a stack of papers teetering in his arms. "Y-yes sir?"

"Hello George." Will smiled and gave a little wave.

"What are you doing?! Quit lollygagging around and show Mr. Baker to his rooms!" Koenma shooed the ogre away.

"Ahh! Yes sir!" George dropped the papers and latched onto the sleeve of Will's shirt, dragging him down the hall.

"R-really, you can just call me Will! And this isn't necessary!"

"Nonsense!" Koenma called after them. "And clean up this mess when you're done, ogre!"

* * *

"Good morning, Botan!" 

"Oh, hello Yukina…" Botan drifted through the temple kitchen, peering under cupboards and into corners.

The koorime watched the odd behavior with a wry grin. "Looking for something?"

"Mhm…!" Botan continued with determination in her set shoulders, crouching low as if to catch a fleeing animal.

"Yusuke's already been through here. Twice." Yukina covered her mouth to keep from laughing; the ferry girl looked ridiculous!

"Sssh!" Botan flailed her arms for quiet. "That's what she _wants_ you to think!"

"Sorry!" Yukina giggled behind her kimono sleeve.

Shouting from outside drew them to the window. A pink and red blur flew past, shrieking with giggles. Yusuke streaked after it, a mad grin on his face and arms outstretched to catch the giggling creature. Unexpectedly, Kuwabara jumped from behind a tree, cutting the red lighting off and capturing the toddler in his arms.

"HA! Gotcha!"

"Aww! Unkie cheater!" The little girl pouted, wriggling in the tall teen's grasp.

Yusuke came to a stop, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah! Point for Unkie Yusuke, man. You cheater, I found _and_ chased her for like twenty minutes!"

"Hey, the rules are only that you gotta catch her; doesn't say _how_!" Kuwabara puffed out his chest, proud of his cleverness.

"Why you—"

Eris sighed, bored with the arguing and slipped easily from Kuwabara. Waddling on baby fat legs, unsteady with the new talent of walking, she ambled around the temple yards. Possessing the contentedness of a young mind, Eris found simple enjoyment in watching the bees and dragonflies flit and buzz from flower to flower.

She particularly liked dangling her feet in the koi carp pond, and leaned forward until her nose nearly melded with the surface tension. The water was blissfully cool on this humid day.

Eris splashed among the last carp, reveling in the rainbows that water droplets and sunshine played over her hot wings. The extra appendages were heavy and stuffy, growing almost twice as fast as she. Eris flapped the fiery feathers, shaking out loose ones; the heat was also making her molt uncomfortably.

Recovering from a yawn, Eris' bright eyes detected a new playmate swimming towards her. She admired the way the leg and armless body smoothly cut through the water in a wiggly S.

Curious, Eris hopped into the pond, scaring the carp. Eris stretched out a small chubby hand, using her wings to help stay afloat. "Kitty!!"

She briefly remembered wishing she could swim as good as the 'kitty,' before being snatched from the pond in a spray of water.

Momentarily confused at finding herself on dry land with her pink yukata dripping on her feet, Eris blinked and put up a hand to block out the sun from her vision. A pair of red eyes glowered down at her.

"Unkie Yay!" Eris smiled, bouncing on the tips of her toes and trying to touch his hair.

Hiei's eyes twitched at the nickname, moving away from the persistent girl, and uncrossed his arms to point at the now retreating snake. "That's a poisonous snake, it could hurt you. Don't touch it!"

Eris just continued to smile, and then wandered off without a word, leaving Hiei glaring at an empty space.

The fire demon let out a calming breath, counting to ten in his mind. "Stupid runt. I hate babysitting."

"Wow, I think you're actually warming up to her." Yusuke chuckled, straightening his clothes from the tussle with Kuwabara.

"How could he not?" The latter teen rubbed a bruise on his upper arm, scowled at it, and then smiled when he saw Eris trying to lure a butterfly onto her nose. "Even the shrimp couldn't resist a cute kid like that."

Hiei only harrumphed and turned his sour look on them. "_You_ two were supposed to be watching the runt."

Yusuke clapped him on the back, much to the smaller demon's chagrin. "That's why you're here! To cover for us when we fuck up."

"Hn. Perhaps I'll let her drown next time; I'm curious as to what sort of horrific death the fox would choose for you."

"Who am I supposed to torture?" Kurama appeared, a bush bending its wild branches out of his way as he approached.

Eris squealed and ran to him yelling, "Kamaaaa! Kama's home!" while Yusuke and Kuwabara chose this as the perfect chance to escape.

"How's my Eris doing?" Kurama smiled, dropping the paper bag of groceries to sweep Eris up into the air, careful to avoid her excitedly flapping wings. She had power behind those things, and many of the residents had the bruises to prove it.

"And how is the little one today?"

"Miss you!" Eris hugged his neck, snuggling into his red hair.

"_Missed_ you," he corrected, returning the hug. He couldn't believe that only three days had passed and already Eris was talking. Shina had been right: phoenixes grew extremely fast, especially for demons. Yesterday morning she had still been crawling around in diapers.

"Did you have fun while I was away?"

Eris nodded, her smile brighter than the sun. "Hide 'n Seek! Hide 'n Seek! Splashy fishies! Unkie Yay save from bad kitty!" She chattered on like a bird as Kurama walked with her on his hip into the temple.

"Here she is!" Botan piped and held up a brush and tote bag full of hair ribbons and other accessories. "Look what Auntie Keiko brought over! Let's play with you hair Eris, and make you all dolled up!"

"Noooo!!" Eris cried, jumping out of Kurama's arms and running to hide behind Genkai. "No dolly! Grandma hide Eris!"

The old master smiled. "Good choice, kid."

"Oh come now," Botan pouted. "It'll be fun Eris!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yah huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

Botan stamped her foot. "Yah huh!"

"NUH UH!! NO WAY!"

"Give it up, Botan, you can't win against a toddler in a match of stubbornness."

Botan nearly fell flat on her face; red with embarrassment she turned and greeted her boss. "Koenma! Sir! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you to the living world?"

"Wondering where my grim reaper was spending her time ditching her job." Koenma tried not to smile at her guilt, rearranging his tunic to be more comfortable in the unaccustomed heat.

The blue-haired ferry girl laughed nervously. "Oh dear, really?"

He gave a shrug. "Not really."

"Prissy Koko!" Eris bounced out from behind Genkai in favor of hiding behind the prince. He cringed at the name, though patted her head nonetheless. "Actually I was just checking in on our little phoenix girl. She seems to be growing up well, albeit a trifle paranoid. What have you been doing to the poor girl?"

"Nothing!" Botan huffed defensively, hiding hot pink and green pig tail ties behind her back.

"She was trying to play with Eris." Kurama tried to explain with an amused grin.

"Ah. Well then I would be terrified too."

"Koenma!"

"Koko!"

"I meant with her hair." Kurama bit the inside of his cheek from laughing out loud.

"Whatever." Koenma brushed it off, trying to detach the leech from his leg. "Is she always so clingy?"

"Yes!" Was the unanimous answer.

"Nuh uh!" Eris stuck out her tongue, still hanging on Koenma's pant leg.

"Kurama, a little help please?"

Kurama chuckled, kneeling down to her level. "C'mere you! I've got a present."

Curious, Eris toddled back to Kurama and watched in blooming glee as he transfigured a seed into rose before her eyes.

"Boo…!" She cooed, fingering the blue petals delicately.

"Blue," Kurama corrected again, giving the aromatic flower to her. "Special, just for you."

Satisfied with her bribe Eris ran off, entranced with the gift.

"Now, what did you really come here for?" Kurama asked, straightening and watching Eris run back outside, wings flapping to make her go at a hover-run.

"He-ey! Koenma! What're you doin' here?" Yusuke strolled into the room, finishing off a rice ball snitched from the kitchen. "Must be a big mission if you're here personally, Prissy Koko."

Koenma gave him a death glare. "I can incinerate you from here, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," He blew the threat to the wind, licking his fingers. "Whaddaya want?"

"Truthfully, I'm here at the request of someone else. Your vacation is safe for now, Yusuke."

"Better be," the Tantei leader muttered. "So no evil demons bent on multi-world domination or whatever lame plans they're coming up with these days?"

"Afraid not." Koenma smirked. "I'll see what I can find for you."

"Lunch is ready," Yukina bowed at the doorway leading from the kitchen to the temple live in area. Seeing Koenma, she smiled and bowed again to him. "Koenma-sama, thank you for taking time for a visit; you must be incomparable busy with the demon relocations and your new Tantei training."

"Tantei training??" Yusuke raised a disapproving eyebrow. "What's that about?"

"Maa-maa! It's not a new Reikei Tantei…more of a spiritual retrieval team in need of power control." Koenma laughed nervously under Yusuke's scrutiny. "Boton, I'd appreciate it if you'd hang up the Gossip Queen title!" He murmured out the corner of his mouth.

"Ah! Forgive me, I shouldn't have said anything…" Yukina bit her lip.

"No need to worry. Please, let's talk in more…" He scowled at the immature Yusuke sticking his tongue out at him. "…Confidential quarters?"

"Hai, of course. I've prepared a room. This way." the small Koorime maiden inclined her head and walked through an opposite door with Koenma after her.

Wordlessly, Genkai raised herself and followed. At the doorway, she turned back. "Kurama."

Puzzled, Kurama and Yusuke exchanged looks. With a shrug, Kurama followed the beckons into a small simple, yet graceful tearoom flooded with the afternoon light from a panel-less window; a formal tea set was placed on the low table of polished-to-a-gleam oak. Four places sat ready and set.

Tensely, Kurama sat after both women and the prince were seated. "What is this about?" he asked quietly, watching Yukina prepare the tea with sure hands, crushing the fragile leaves and checking the pot's temperature.

"Genkai and I have been discussing things, certain…possibilities." The Koorime poured the sweet smelling tea for Koenma, who accepted with a gracious bow of the head.

"Concerning?"

"Eris-chan of course." Yukina repeated the gesture with Genkai and Kurama before serving herself, biting her lip again. "It occurred to me that with Eris-chan…as she is, she may not grow up to remember her real family."

His spine stiffened with realization; how had he seen that himself?

"Genkai agrees," she went on, covering his hand with hers reassuringly. "You have to do something or else she won't be fit to return home."

Kurama lowered his head, eyes boring into the dark wood of the table only to see the reflection of his own eyes staring back. "But how? How am I to help when I have no way of doing so?"

"Bring something back that might trigger the old memories. Only her body was burned away, the soul survives and carries life with it." The gravelly voice of Genkai spoke around the rim of the ceramic cup. Kurama found himself looking to the blue cranes between the leathery fingers as if they held the way among their feathers.

But as the crane patiently stands still in the bog before striking the fish, so would he have to wait for the answer.

"Go where and bring back what?"

They were being careful about voicing their ideas. Yukina looked nervously about the corner of her eye at Koenma; apparently this was the first time the women had discussed between anyone but themselves.

Koenma licked the sweet tea from his lips and folded his hands peacefully in his lap. "If I am not mistaken, you mean to send Kurama to Eris' home and bring back some_one_ rather than some_thing_, and you wanted me here to ask permission for a portal?"

"Yes! Oh please Koenma-sama! I'd love to have Eris-chan here but not under such selfish circumstances…"

"Fine with me," The prince smiled at the happiness shown by Yukina's ruby eyes, but held up a hand to continue on with his piece. "On one condition." He turned to Kurama for this.

"You must bring two. An Alexandria Juliard and a Duckington Bunnell."

Kurama's brow furrowed. "Alex and Ducky? Wouldn't her mother and father be better choices?"

"No good," Koenma shook his hand impatiently. "Eris' parents are away on a visit to her brother, transporting them here would attract more attention and paper work than I'm willing to deal with."

"Alex and Ducky are busy with school, more people would look into their absences."

"You let me take care of that," Koenma looked rather pleased with himself and gave Kurama a golden brown wink. "This isn't far from what I myself had planned…"

"You'd also been concerned?" Yukina asked.

The prince took his time answering, savoring the fragrant stress relief the tea provided. "Eris would definitely have grown up with a memory overwrite. Yes, I was concerned."

Genkai nodded her head in satisfaction. "So a few more brats around my retirement home should kick some recollection into her?"

"Probably."

"_Probably??_"

"There are no guarantees in life." Koenma stated firmly. "I'll have a portal open early tomorrow morning. Take Yusuke's communicator with you; call, and Botan will put another one through once you have her friends with you."

Koenma's words had a tone of finality; Kurama bowed his thanks and gratitude to the prince. "I am in your debt—"

"Ah go on." Koenma grinned, and set his attention back to the women. "On to further matters then?"

"Hai. Kurama, you are dismissed."

"Thank you, Master Genkai." Kurama rose from his place with a lighter heart.

**AN:** Awwwwww what a cutie she is. Isn't she? Save your teeth for the next chapter, it only gets sweeter. Woot! So. How do you like? Intrigued you are, yes? You better be!! This just might possibly have more twists than the first book. Keep your seatbelts on, and popcorn nearby for chapter two!

**Footnotes:  
**None!

**Review Replies from Chapter 22 of RTR Book One:**

Renara: Neener neener neener!! I fooled you!! Watch as I invoke my Victory Dance! Bwahaha!

The Fire Youkai Paige: Thank you! As mean as it sounds that was exactly the reaction I was going for. Thanks for making me happy. Tehee.

Sun Priestess: Another victory! Yeah! Point for me! XD And do I ever have twists brewing…

Spatial Monkey: WOOT!!11one

FluffysBijin05: One day?? Wooow someone was bored. Heh. I actually only had it planned for her to become a wolf, because the whole 'human-to-demon' deal is so over done, but I needed a way for her to be able to come back. So voila! Phoenix baby. I do imagine her as a very beautiful wolf. I lurve wolves to no end. They're second only to foxes. XD Thanks for the great review!

Polaris-fire-star: I thought it would be a good present. Tehees. And yes, Alex is not going to be happy. One bit.

Crystalkioku: Was I fast enough? Do I get the cookies?? Huh? Huh? DO I??? Aaaaand I can't tell you that yet. That would ruin all the fun. GRRR fluff! Yay smut!! KIDDING!! Kidding. Maybe.-giggles-

Sakura-chan: Thanks and late Merry X-mas to you too! Hehe

Soccerchic91588: YAAAAAAY!! I inflict conflicting emotion in people!! Hahaha. And yeah, be nice to your 'puter. Otherwise it may just give you the blue screen of death just to piss you off.

Hikari Yume: ANOTHER point for me! To tell the truth it seemed way unbelievable to me and I felt I needed to make it sadder. Good thing I'm lazy and didn't mess with it. Heh.

Lady-of-the-Dragon-Flame: DUDE! That would be sweet ass! Go! Now! Do! Feed my ego! By all means have at them. They need a little exorcise now and then XD Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Silver Spear: I hate how that always happens when I start a story. The protagonist always comes out like a Sue, but then my style gets funky as more ideas roll around in my head. I plan on rewriting those first few chapters sometime in the distant future because some of the stuff I _thought_ was a good idea is just dumb. Can't answer some of your questions because that would give away plot points in this story, but the age difference I'm not worried about. This is set maybe 6 months to a year after the last episode, where I think Kurama is either 17 or 18. Eris is getting close to her 17t birthday. Plus when you're a demon, age really doesn't mean squat. lol

Insaneningen14: Jeez, I dunno if I could keep going after this one! lol It's awesome you want more though. Thanks for the review!

Kitsune Kit: Yes. I am a busy leeetle bee. I've actually got a headstart on chapter two. Ssssh! Don't tell! Hehehehe.

Rebell: Thanks!! My mind is drifting into Writer's World as we speak, so the next update shall be a bit sooner than this was.

Lala: That _was_ what inspired the phoenix thing, but I really didn't wanna rip JKR off and have people pointing it out. I liked mine better anyway. Ssssh!

Neko-tsuin: Will do! Thanks for the offer, I'll be sure to look you up if I get fed up with seeing all my stupid mistakes. Oh wait I am. lol

Ladyblabbermouth: Oooh I'm scared. Heh. You can't kill me though, or else you wouldn't know how this one ends silly!

**-**As always, the official RTR Livejournal Community is in need of members! Make me happy and check it out, ne?

www. livejournal .com/ community / erratic petals /  
Take out the spaces, and put the underscore in between "erratic" and "petals".

—Nefus


	2. Pwned

**AN:** Title is dedicated to Nicklebee, who helped me smite the evil that is Document manager. XD  
Things'll get a little more OOC this chapter, but you'll all just have to deal with it. Heh.

_"What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream? Or what's worse, what if the only person who really exists is that fat guy in the third row?" –_Woody Allen

* * *

The moonlight was wane, dulled by the frosted rice paper shade pulled down low over the window. With the full moon so bright she hadn't been able to sleep, and so he had pulled it down despite how he loved how serene she was under the moon. 

Awake, Kurama blinked through the dim glow to the ceiling; he would leave soon in the cover of early morning. Eris was absolutely not a morning person. She slept soundly, resolutely like an immovable log next to him, determined to gain a minimum of 12 hours of sleep.

Smiling, he pulled her thumb from her mouth and brushed the soft, feather-like black strands away and behind her tiny ears. His arm was starting to fall asleep, trapped under the girl's head as she snuggled close against his chest. If he moved, would she wake up? Eris was a heavy sleeper, but if she rose from her sleep Kurama would have to say goodbye to the tearful face she would surely have.

Even with a short absence away, that look would plague his mind.

Kurama cradled her tighter, the scent of jasmine soap from her before-bed bath in his nose; he'd stay a few minutes longer.

The sliding door opened silently; smiling wanly as she saw the shining green eyes of Kurama close tightly in effort to will her away, the intruder hated to tear them apart, even if for the little demon's good.

"Kurama," she whispered, kneeling just outside the room. "The portal is waiting."

Try as he might, his stirrings jarred Eris from peaceful sleep. She instinctively reached out for source of her lost warmth, and, not finding it, blinked open light absorbing eyes.

"Kama…?" She called in a small, sleep-filled voice.

Kurama stopped cold, working the muscles in his jaw. With no soothing voice answering through the dark, Eris felt a rush of panic.

"Kama!" She clutched the blanket, feeling cold.

Unknowingly, she had played the trump card. "Ssh," Kurama scooped her into a tight hug. "I'm here."

"Where go?" her warbling voice tugged uncomfortably on his heartstrings. "Scared…"

"Don't be scared…" Kurama smoothed her hair, rocking the toddler in hopes to send her back to her dreams where he'd still be. "I'll only be gone for a little while, and come back with presents when I get back."

"Presents?" Eris was lapsing into sleep with a yawn.

"Mhmm. Two." Kurama smiled, feeling her breath steady into a rhythm against the crook of his neck. "I won't leave you alone; Yukina will stay with you."

"Kay…" With a sigh, she gave in to sleep. Yukina smiled as Kurama gave her a lingering kiss on the forehead before tucking the child warmly in the blanket and entrusting her care to the Koorime's hands.

"You'll be back before you know it, Kurama-san." She whispered. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, isn't that what they say?"

"I'm afraid my heart is already too fond." Kurama gave a small smile before ghosting out of the bedroom.

* * *

"Is she still out there?" Yusuke peered out the window to the garden. 

"I'm afraid so," Yukina bit her lip, collecting items for the laundry. "Poor thing hasn't stopped sulking all day."

"At least she's stopped crying," Yusuke turned to the brighter side. "I can still hear a ringing sound in my ears."

"Shouldn't you be in school with Keiko-chan and Kuwabara-kun?" Yukina let a little wry grin slip.

Yusuke rolled his eyes, good-naturedly of course. Swinging an athletic bag over one shoulder, he began heading out the door for the dojo. "You're still the only one who keeps nagging me about that."

"Only because you want me too." The Koorime maiden giggled as he made a face at her.

…

Outside, Eris sat alone by the koi pond, feet dipped in the water once again. She did not splash; when a curious pond inhabitant nibbled a toe, she did not laugh. Staring blankly into the lazy water, Eris coughed to clear the aching feeling in her throat.

A brisk breeze cooled her hot face and tickled the feathers on her lax wings. One fluffy down feather was lifted free; on the other side of the garden, a presence in black became distracted by a fuzz of red drifting on the wind.

He followed the trail of gloom, finding the source sniffling by the koi pond. Without a chance to think, he continued his walk, pausing to stand next to the distraught child.

"What's the matter with you?"

She didn't respond with a cheery smile or nonsensical blurb as was normal. "Kama left this morning."

Hiei knew this to be true; signs of the fox's ki were all but gone. This explained the girl's inversed mood. He gave a grunt of agreement. "Your speech is improving."

What else was he supposed to say in a situation like this? He wasn't any good at this sort of thing, this comforting of heart ailments. It was true though. Hiei could actually understand what she said.

Thinking about the sudden changes the little demon showed everyday, Hiei noticed more colors in her wings; the sun reflected brightly off the gold, and the darker red was bleeding into black. Splayed half-hazard on the ground instead of being neatly folded; he could see their shape maturing.

Another feather came loose, the only reply from Eris who continued to sulk. Hiei caught the ruby feather; strange how the wind would just pick up like that…

He slid his eyes to consider her for a moment; Eris' emotions were affecting her ki enough to stir a wind!

Eris shook the ever-lengthening hair from out of her eyes. A haircut would be nice, or at least something to keep it out of her way. The thought had barely registered in her mind before she sensed Hiei sitting stiff-backed beside her.

She moved her heavy head and watched him untie the white bandana across his forehead. Smoothing it out between his forefinger and thumb, Hiei slipped the cloth around her own forehead, tying the back in a quick knot.

Eris blinked, vision free of the black fringe. She gave a simpering smile, and it grew as he smiled minutely too. As Hiei stood, Eris fell forward, trapping him in an inescapable hug that nearly knock him over. Off guard, Hiei awkwardly patted her head.

"Thank you for cheering me up, 'Yay." She took her time letting go.

"Hnnn. Just don't make it a habit." Hiei pushed her ahead of him in guidance away from the pond.

"Where we going?" Eris asked in curious confusion.

"The training hall." Hiei was as vague in words as ever. "You need instruction."

Peeking around a temple column, Yukina until before the unusual pair was gone. As she stepped into the open, laundry basket in her arms, Yukina smiled and the picture the two had made. She let a light laugh bubble forth. There was more than one Koorime who Kurama had left the little demon in the care of.

* * *

**AN:** Keep in mind that Japan is about eleven hours ahead of us. Well at least me anyway. XD Don't want any nit-pickers freaking out about the sudden change in lighting. 

"_You've stabbed me in the back for the last time, Maurice…"_

"_No! No! I didn't mean it! You've got it all—ACK!"_

"_Heh. Struggling is useless. There's no one home except me and you. Just like old times…"_

"_Y-you MONSTER! AHHHHH!"_

"AHHH!" Alex jumped, the bowl of popcorn in her lap falling onto the carpet, spilling white kernels and butter everywhere. The doorbell rang again; pulling a shaky hand through her short black hair, Alex let out a whoosh of air.

Shooting a furtive look at the TV, wincing as the zombie bride rolled blissfully in her living husband's entrails, she trotted to the door just as the crazy bell went off again.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here—whoa!" her eyes nearly fell out of her head as Kurama stood on the doorstep before her. "Shuichi? Where the hell did you come from? Is Elf with you? Elf! Your mother is driving me nuts! I was running out of excuses—"

"She's not with me." Kurama cut her off as he stepped past the suspecting girl into Eris' warm house. It was a rather brisk night, even colder to his unaccustomed skin.

Alex closed the door and tugged the throw blanket around her shoulders tighter, giving the tall red head a narrow glare. "Where is my cousin?"

"Eris is safe and in perfect health, I assure you," Kurama breathed a little easier as some of the ice in her glare melted. "Although she can't come home."

"Why. Not?" Alex's bare foot tapped, making an effective rhythm on the hardwood floor. Her tone was chillier than the wind outside; Kurama mentally sighed, preparing for battle.

"Why don't we sit down to talk?" He applied his natural charm. It made an almost audible splat against wall of Alex's over protectiveness.

"I'm not sure I want to let you in any further. I want answers. _Now_."

He really did sigh this time. "Alex—"

"Talk!"

"Eris is a demon." Beating around the bush wasn't going to fool this girl. The words were out of his mouth before Kurama could decide bluntness was the best route.

Alex snorted, cracking a smile. Well _that_ was a totally unexpected reaction.

"Yeah, she can be a bitch now and again. She kick you out of the loooove house?" The teen laughed and padded into the kitchen. "I have a feeling this calls for chocolate!"

She opened the fridge and stuck her upper body into the cool depths, worming around leftovers in Tupperware straight towards a half eaten chocolate cake. "Mind getting some plates and silverware? Right cupboard, and top drawer on the left."

"This really isn't—"

"Shaddap and sit down. Indulge in the chocolate goodness and all woes shall pass. After the sugar high of course." Alex whirled around, cold cake in hand, and blanket tied like a toga as she fetched the utensils herself.

"I am not joking Alex!" Kurama was becoming slightly agitated by her aloofness.

"Meh, I do admit the joke wasn't all that funny." Alex flipped him a grin and slid a plate with a chunk of cake towards him. "Eat! You look like death."

He didn't smile at this. Exasperated, Alex took his fork, speared a piece of cake, and held it in front of him. "Please don't make me say 'Here comes the choo choo!'"

Kuramam's serious composure cracked. Botan had felt the full effect of Eris' scorn concerning the choo choo game. He took the proffered fork.

The cake was unbelievable. "That's…really, _really_ good…!" Kurama tore off another bite onto his fork.

Alex beamed. "Thanks!"

"You made this?"

"Yup!" She proudly crossed her arms and sat on the tabletop. "You're lucky I banned Ducky from eating anymore. He ate that whole half."

"Mmm," Kurama nodded, not really listening, and forced himself to stop. He really did have to get down to business…but it was so good!

"Alex, you have to listen to me," He talked around the food; it be far more rude to not eat the prided cake than to talk with his mouth full…right? "Eris isn't her…normal self anymore."

"Oh God, what did she do?" Alex started biting the skin off her lip.

Kurama hesitated. How exactly could he say this? Perhaps he should shed some light on a few other things as well.

"It was nothing that she had done, everything was more or less my fault." He set the fork down on his clean plate. If he had been a dog demon he surely would have licked the plate.

"There's something very big you're trying to tell me isn't there?" Alex's heart-shaped face had turned serious now.

He nodded. "Yes. You have to swear you will not tell anyone what I am going to tell you."

"Sh-she's not…_pregnant_ is she? Oh my God! That's it isn't it? I swear if you leave her—"

"She's not pregnant!" Kurama's cheeks flushed a hint of red. "Even if was I would do no such thing—"

Alex let out an enormous sigh of relief and fell back spread eagle on top on the table. Kurama moved his plate out of the way, and decided now was as good a time as any.

"Eris _is_ a demon, Alex. I'm not talking lightly. If you value your friendship and family, you will listen and help me."

Something in his voice sparked a twinge of fear in Alex's stomach. Slowly sitting up, she eyed the older teen critically. His green eyes burned with earnest.

"What are you playing at?"

"Nothing."

She laughed, a short bark. "You expect me to believe that? Next you're going to tell me _you're_ a demon too!"

"I am."

"Ri-ight. Lemme guess, it's like one of those fantasy romance novels: you two were so 'madly in love' you bit her neck to mark her as your mate and now she shares your 'demon powers'! Ha! Oooh, pretty flower…"

Alex took the rose Kurama held up, oohing and awing over it in such a manner as Eris had that he smiled.

"Waaaaait a minute! Where did this come from?" Alex pointed at the flower, simultaneously narrowing on eye and raising the opposite brow at him.

He fished out another seed and held it between his thumb and forefinger. Alex squealed as it grew into a full-blooming rose.

"DUDE! That was so cool! Do it again!" She nearly fell off the table with all the excited bouncing she was doing.

"Do you believe me now?"

"Sorry, I've never actually heard of a demon toting a mini garden in his hair so…no."

"No more flowers for you."

"Meanie!" Alex huffed. "Come on! You're going to have to do better than that! You should have like…I dunno, fangs and claws and green skin and all that junk."

"Hmm…" _I wonder…could I possibly…?_ "Grant me a few moments."

Alex snorted. "Yeah, sure buddy. Not like I've anything better to do. I warn you though, if Elf is—oh sweet mother of…how the HELL are you doing that!"

Kurama put a hand to his head; the pounding must have been a sign that his soul was not yet completely reunited with his stronger demon energies. What ever had been the result of his attempt at returning to Youko must have been enough to convince the girl at least a little bit, judging by her rather amusing reaction.

He looked at his hands; normal, yet maybe a bit longer, and definitely clawed. Running his tongue over his teeth, he checked fangs off the list. Kurama smiled, flashing the elongated canines at her.

"You'll have to ask Hiei about green skin, I'm afraid kitsunes don't come in that color."

"H-holy shit…" Alex wasn't laughing anymore. "You're really are a…a…"

"Demon?" He supplied helpfully with a rueful grin. "Yes. You don't have to be afraid, I won't hurt you."

"W-what about Elf?" Alex was near tears in her shock. "She's not like…evil or anything?"

"Only before Yukina makes her take a bath, or when there's peas involved."

Resting her chin on her drawn up knees, Alex smiled. "I still remember her hissy fits over peas. God, she was such a little shit!"

"At least her traits are consistent…" Kurama said more to himself, but Alex looked up looking alarmed again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She straightened her legs; arms tense as she half lifted herself off the table. "Shuichi—or whoever you are—what exactly is my cousin going through?"

He sat in his usual calm air, letting controlled breaths in and out. Time to drop the bomb.

"She…was killed, and became reborn as a demon. Everything from her human life has been erased." Kurama let this set into her mind, looking straight at the girl's darkening hazel eyes.

"Alex, we need you and Ducky to come and help her remember. Eris grows older everyday, and as she does, her new memories replace the old ones."

"You mean Elf doesn't even remember us?" Alex's mouth hung open as Kurama shook his head. "But how can she just forget like that! We've been best friends her _entire life_!"

"Not this time around. If you want the old Eris back, you have no choice but to help us."

"Us?" Alex asked, forehead furrowing. "Who is this 'us'? And where the hell is she anyway? Where did you take her?"

"Eris is safe. She's being watched over by the best, and you already know I'm not in a joking mood."

She hopped off the table and stood with her arms on her hips, lips in a thin line. "Who are you? Really?"

He took his time standing up from his seat, not really trying to intimidate the girl, but she backed off nonetheless. The fox demon inclined his head. "My friends call me Kurama."

Alex's head canted to the side, as if a memory was trying to be brought to the front. She gasped and a hand fled to her mouth. "YOU! Ohmygod—"

She ran from the kitchen; the back of a door banged against a wall as it was flung open. Kurama pursued at a more leisurely pace, following the sounds of books and collective junk being thrown around.

He stopped a few paces inside Eris' forlorn looking bedroom. Alex sat on the floor, among piles of old clothes and her cousin's strewn about manga and anime collection. She held a DVD in her hands, staring from the cover to the red head.

"Kurama?" Alex lifted an eyebrow.

He smiled. "The one and only, at your service."

"AUGH!" She began hitting her forehead with the heels of her hands. "That stupid—no wonder she went off with you people without even batting an eye! While I'm sitting here bored out of my mind, worried _sick_, and freaking out whenever the little schmuck's mother calls, she's out frolicking with cartoon characters! I am going to _murder_ that girl when I see her!"

Kurama tried not to seem too amused. "Is that a yes then? You're coming back with me?"

"AND YOU!" Steam was practically coming out of her ears. Alex stood up, stomping over to him, and began poking Kurama in the chest. "You're lucky I know you could kick my ass, otherwise I'd be burying you in the backyard!"

Kurama did laugh at this. "I can see the family resemblance now. You both have the same insult tendencies when you're angry."

"Shut up!" Alex grumbled and stalked out of Eris' room. "We are going to sit in that kitchen, and you are going to tell me every single little detail about this little adventure while I eat cake. When morning comes, I'll call Ducky and drag him behind my car to get him here if I have to!"

"Is violence really necessary? This doesn't really call for such extreme measures—"

"GET IN HERE!"

* * *

**AN:** The amount of sugar and caffeine I consume seems to affect the weirdness factor in my writing. Hehehe. Even if this is a little shorter than I wanted, it did turn out better than I had hoped. I can't believe the amount of reviews I got for the first chapter! You guys rock, what can I say? Heh. 

**Footnotes:** None!

**Review Replies:**

Samuraiduck27: yay! thank you! Congrats on being the first reviewer for HAMS. Tehee.

IntoTheWakingDawn: Aww, you do? I feel special. Wee!

Kitsune Kit: WOOOOT! PARTAY!

Dolphingirl32173: YEAH! Point for me:D Haha I'm such a naughty author, putting these images in people's heads. Bwahaha!

Lala: Ducky has yet to get down and dirty. He's just warming up. XD

Rahenne: Aww, was it really that sad? –hands you tissues- The good kind:)

Renara: That's right! Keep practicing, I want you to have it down by the end of this fic. Heh.

SweetGirl7: Maaaaybe. Or maybe I'll spring something else on you. Hehe.

Soccerchic91588: BAD MAX! He's naughty. lol And don't worry, insane is good. XD

Darkness Shall Set You Free: Wootness;)

Sun Priestess: I had plenty of little ones running around during the holidays. Lots of inspiration for the well. Heee.

Latent Psychopath: hey Monkey! Hehe. I thought Ducky showing his badass side would be a nice opening. I guess it worked!

Phoenix of Blackfire: Good thing I didn't leave this one at a cliffhanger. XD

Mihi-kun: You know you're a success when you annoy _other_ people's friends. Hahaha!

Laddyblabbermouth: AW! There. I gave you an aw. ;) Are you still interested in being a beta? Because I've got work for you. XD

Silver spear: Eris wear Hiei down? Ohohoho you have no idea… XD

The Fire Youkai Paige: YAY! hahaha.

Hikari Yume: Too bad Ducky's gay. He's got his own fan club. LOL

Neko-tsuin: GW! Yeah! I lurve GW. Tehee.

Spirits Miko: yeah torture! I live for fictional torture! Bwahaha!

Darkspirals: Oh man, I so know what you mean. It's so hard to find a good anime fic worth reading. Most have really interesting plots and stuff, but then the construction is just awful. Yargh. As for the thunderstorm scene, well, you got me. Ehehe…even I make mistakes. Go you for catching it though! I like it when readers pay attention. Eris was wearing a bathrobe because they're comfy. Heehee. LEATHER PANTS! The pants made the Hiei-lover drool over Kurama. Bwahaha! I'm evil.

Ookami Aya: I'm always calling things kitty. I just _had_ to put it.

Insaneningen14: I'll be sure to inform him. Can't have the Duckster being manly!

ReiRei-chan: Goodness, you are very welcome! This is my fanfic baby. I'd never leave it. Hehe.

Crystalkioku: COOOOKIES! And pie! Go me!

Time and Fate: Funny story: Only had her first name when the story started. When time came for a surname, Bueller just popped into my head. It only vaguely occurred to me that the two names sounded weirdly good with one another. It was not until the movie popped up on TV one day did I completely do an anime style fall and laugh so hard at my stupidity, did I realize. XD

WildRashi: Thank you! I love ego boosts. Woot!

ChibiIceDemon: It's really fun coming up with funny names for them all. Bwahaha!

AnkokuHiKitsune: Oh they're definitely going to have a relationship. Eris won't be chibi forever!

Koroga: I know what you mean. Last month was a nightmare for me. But I'm glad you're back! I missed you all so. X) :does a theatrical bow: Thank you! Thank you! Happy to create such chaos. Bwahaha. Speaking of Ducky making Kurama uneasy…hehehehe….wait until chapter three is all I can say.


	3. Swords, SongsToast, and Storms

_"Because you're not what I would have you be, I blind myself to who, in truth, you are."—_Madeline L'Engle

* * *

"You're not concentrating hard enough!" Genkai's sharp reprimand had the effect of a stick upside the head.

"If I let it out anymore I'll blow the roof off!" Yusuke growled back; his concentration lost, the size of his released power fizzled down. "Are we done now?" He whined, tired of the exorcises already.

"Power is like a muscle, if it isn't worked to the limit, it wont become stronger." Genkai's tone was the same gravely quality, yet sounded like a scolding all the same. "So quit your bitching!"

The large panel door slid aside to accept the dark-cloaked figure of Hiei into the large room. An apprehensive Eris hid just behind him. She'd never been allowed in the training hall while Yusuke was working with Genkai.

"Ah! Hee-man!" Yusuke brightened. "Come to save me from the withered old hag?"

"Watch it, I can still launch a spirit wave into your ass."

"Actually, I was hoping to submit someone else to her relentless torture." Hiei smirked, an amused fang peeking over his lower lip.

Eyes drifted to the little winged girl shuffling her bare feet on the wooden floor.

"Was that her making the wind freak out? Yusuke looked surprised. "I hate to think what's gonna happen when she goes home."

"I am home," Little Eris clutched the back of Hiei's cloak. She didn't understand what they were talking about. "Aren't I?"

Genkai stood with her arms crossed, thinking. "It might be for the best. Low profile will be hard enough without freak tornadoes popping up."

"Can I teach her?" Yusuke would do anything to get away from his own work; the possibility of being able to boss someone else around, and pass on his own tricks, were also perks.

"You can barely keep your ADD under control with my instruction, how do _you_ expect to teach her anything useful?"

"Ouch, fine then," He grumbled. "A simple 'no' would have been easier on my ego."

"And what fun would that be for me?" Genkai snorted. "All right girl, come here. Let's see what we're dealing with."

Still timid, Eris only reluctantly let go of Hiei.

"Hurry up! I don't have all day!" Eris jumped and ran the rest of the way to stand perfectly still in front of the old master. "Relax."

The girl looked at her suspiciously. Genkai's smirk grew bigger. "At least you're not as big a dimwit as the King over here."

"Hag!" Yusuke covered up the retort with a cough.

After reassurance from Genkai, Eris closed her eyes, letting her limbs go limp. A sharp pinch in her left wing made her screech and jump back, tense with alert. The old fighter stood with a red feather between her fingers as Eris glared at her.

"That hurt!"

"Good." The old woman chuckled. "You feel anything on that one, Dimwit?"

"Nah, not really. Good reflexes though." Yusuke yawned. "I'm bored. Up for a little sparring match, Hiei?"

The fire koorime gave a one shoulder, might-as-well shrug, and removed his cloak.

"Itai!" Eris hissed between her teeth, rustling her wings to alleviate the pain.

"Come on, whelp! Give me something here to work with!" Genkai grabbed a wooden stick, and clocked her one.

Growling, sharp teeth glinting, Eris tensed her body with anger. When Genkai wound up for another hit, she saw it coming this time around.

A streamline of boiling hot wind flared up, lifting her wings into full-span. For a kid, the show was fairly intimidating.

The stick was ripped out of the old woman's hand and flung across the hall.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Genkai smirked approvingly.

Eris stood, her little hands clenched into fists at her sides. The only thing that kept her wild ki from growing enough to loosen the floorboards were the clashes of blue and dark purple energies.

Hiei and Yusuke had begun their fight. Breaking the deadlock, Hiei wielded his katana. Yusuke dodged a lunge, wearing smug look of one gleefully fighting a formidable foe. He flicked a weak shotgun at the fire demon.

Hiei took the bait, slashing easily through the attack and diminishing it, leaving himself open for a barrage of kicks and punches. Yusuke became lazy; taking advantage of this, Hiei grabbed his wrist and twisted.

"You had me worried," He spat blood from a split lip, foot at the base of the demon descendant's neck. "A dirty trick."

Yusuke grunted a laugh; Hiei had his arm thoroughly pinned against his own back. "Gotta keep things exciting. It's more fun playing with death."

Risking a shoulder dislocation, Yusuke rolled, narrowly missing the plunge of Hiei's sword into his skull.

Hiei grinned, pointed teeth forming an almost maniacal smile. "How right you are."

"Plus it really pisses Botan off."

Eris watched, entranced as the fighters tested one another; it was almost teasing how they went full force, only to pull back before full contact. Her eyes particularly enjoyed the grace of Hiei's blade. At that moment, nothing could be more beautiful than the unity between wielder and the wielded.

"It is rather impressive." Genkai gave a grudging smile, breaking the spell on Eris.

"Could I do that?" She asked, unable to keep the awe out of her voice.

Now this was an idea. "Humm…" The old woman walked across the expansive floor to retrieve the wooden stick Eris had virtually thrown there. She whapped Yusuke on the back of the head.

"OW! Whoa—whoa! Time out!" He ducked an awry slash, holding his arms up in defense. "What was that for, grandma! Maybe you've finally gone blind, but we're in the middle of something here!"

"Play time's over." Genkai had an eerie smile. She turned to speak to Hiei, ignoring her student's annoyed look. "It seems you've gained a student of your own with a passion to learn."

Her brown eyes narrowed at the fire demon momentarily. "Don't screw it up."

With that, Genkai let loose the stick in a swift throw. Eris caught it in one small hand, her grey-blue eyes wide and devouring every detail that made it look and feel similar to a real sword. Without thinking, she positioned her hands as she had observed Hiei's and tested a swing.

She looked ridiculous, Hiei thought, this small child with a wooden sword as big as she. Yet even he could not ignore the desire in her eyes, or the way her ki clung so fiercely to that piece of bamboo.

Yusuke chuckled, truly amused by the idea of Hiei being the girl's teacher. "This should be interesting." He murmured and gave Hiei a thump on the back. "Good luck, man! She looks ready for some serious ass kicking."

Hiei smirked. "Indeed."

…

Her shoulder muscles ached, her legs were bruised, her feet hurt, and her hands sported blisters. Eris never felt so invigorated; the bamboo sword in her hands tingled with her demon ki. Genkai's suspicions had been correct: Eris' craving to learn swordsmanship would house and hone her demon energy better than nearly anything the old woman could teach.

To learn to be one's own master required the desire to become so. Her want of that sword in her hands was stronger than what Genkai could force on her.

A hand shot out, catching the brunt of the bamboo sword's wooden blade with a tight smack, and stopping the girl's downward swing with a jolt.

"You're becoming lax. Straighten your back and shoulders before you continue; swing _down_, not sideways."

Eris nodded, adjusting her stance, shaking the aches out, and began again. As the blade swung down once more, Hiei stopped her again. "Better. Your fluidity needs more work."

He knocked her legs farther apart with a smart rap from his sheath. She winced, but continued on with the drills, Hiei's to-the-point teachings guiding her arms. When she could make a solid and swift sweep no more, Hiei halted her a final time with an abrubt block with his own sword.

"The sun is low." The fire demon looked up as his ice sister amiably entered the training hall.

"Nina!" Eris excitedly called out, suddenly not as tired as she had been. "'Yay's teaching me to fight! Watch me! Watch me!"

Yukina laughed as Eris demonstrated all she had learned, which was surprisingly quite a bit.

"Amazing, Eris-chan!" The koorime maiden praised the little demon, duly noting the curious inches she had gained during the day. "Are you ready for a nice, hot bath? I've got the water drawn up and heating. It should be perfect when you hop in."

Her muscles were too tired to put up the usual protest. Sticking out her lower lip in a pouty thinking face, Eris shrugged her shoulders. "Kay. Do I get Rubber Ducky? The squeaky squeak one?" Her eyes were big with a child's earnest hope.

Yukina smiled and inclined her head. How could anyone say no to such a face? "Hai, Eris-chan. Would you like the bubbly soap too?"

Eris bounced on her toes. "Hai!"

Forgetting herself, she began to follow the maiden out of the hall. Hiei frowned, but before he could scowl and mutter about insubordinate children, Eris came running back and bowed low.

"Thank you for teaching me, may I go Sensei?"

Yukina peered around the door, giving Hiei an all knowing smile. It gave him an odd feeling, having a title and becoming responsible for another being. The smiling thing was becoming easier around the two female demons, he noticed as his lips gave an upward twitch.

"Out of my sight, I've seen enough of you today, brat." Hiei smirked at her raspberry, (1) and watched the girl attach to Yukina's hip. Obviously Kurama's lessons in manners had only reached so far.

_Weird kid._

_

* * *

_

**AN:** Just so you know, I was TOTALLY rocking out during this scene. Scary how I didn't even have to look up the lyrics. Yes, I was a Backstreet Baby. Holla to my fellow BSSIC! (That's Backstreet Sistahs In Crime, for all you non-hip folk and youngins. XD)

Smells of sizzling food awoke Kurama from his shallow slumber on Eris' couch. A quick look at the (phoenix) clock on the coffee table told him that he had only fallen asleep a few hours before. It was no more than a nap; after all, the fox had only just woken up before his journey through Koenma's portal.

Bacon and, to his taste bud's delight, French toast were a significant pair of smells making his stomach voice its protest at skipping breakfast those few hours before.

The body swaying and singing in front of the stove, swinging his spatula to the beat was not that of Alex. Kurama bit back a laugh, as the song in the kitchen CD player changed and the boy squealed.

"OOH! ALLEEEEX! WAKEY WAKEY, EGGS AND BACEY! OUR SONG'S ON!"

A thump, like a body falling off a bed, sounded from the direction of Eris' room. Ducky used his spatula as a microphone, crooning into it with a ridiculously low voice.

"This is for the lovers, strictly for the lovers. ALEX GET UP DAMN YOU! You want someone you wanna get close to? Then get close to this!" The tall boy flipped a finished slice of toast onto a plate, swaying with a dreamy languidity.

"Yo! Drop the verse!"

Alex nearly gave Kurama a heart attack as she skidded into the kitchen, singing as she came to a stop and threw her arms around Ducky's neck.

"Like a flower to a tree, that's how close I wanna be-e to your heart! Baby to your heee-art! Like the stars to the night, and daytime is to light—"

Ducky laughed and stuck a bacon strip in her mouth. "Bop, bop, oooooo! We'll never paaa-art!"

"Where'd you dig this up?" Alex asked, munching on the bacon. At least she wasn't scowling; whatever kept that girl happy was fine with Kurama, even if it did happen to be an onslaught of corny lyrics.

"Elf's room. Next to the rotting corpse on the bed."

Alex hit the back of his head. "That was me, idiot."

Ducky smiled and shrugged. "Same difference. So lonely is the ni-ight! Without you to hold me ti-ight! Dude, this is so old school! I need ya! Baby hold me closah! CLO-SAH!"

Alex snatched the spatula and held it up for him. "High falsetto, readysetgo!"

"My life would mean nothi-ing! Without the johohoy you bring to me-e! Y'know, y'know, y'know!"

"Sex on ten legs, man. I tell ya." Alex fanned herself.

"Oh God, don't get me started!" Ducky bounced on his feet. "My Nicky was lucky that barricade was there, or else I would have jumped his bones in a heart beat."

"Ducky, you were thirteen."

"Hey! He started it with the eye sex, believe you me." He grinned like a Cheshire cat, flipping the last pieces of toast on top of a stack and set them aside until the bacon was done. "OOOH! Solo! Solo! Theee-ere will never be-e! No one else for me! You are like a dre-eam that became re-al-i-ty!"

"You are some piece of work." Alex laughed and shook her head.

"Thank you dahling, now be a dear and set the table. Shuichi, honey! Auntie Ducky's got breakkie-fast ready!"

"So I've witnessed," Kurama laughing from his leaning point on the table. "Do you always serve breakfast with a show?"

Ducky turned, pouting disappointingly. "Aww, you weren't supposed to be awake yet. But!" He winked and sashayed his way to the table with both plates of food. "It depends on what sort of show you're looking for."

Alex raised a brow. "I think it was better you woke up now."

Ducky rolled his eyes. "Please, he's prettier than me. It's not like he hasn't been groped before. By the way, you're morning hair is fantabulous, Shuichi!"

Kurama coughed and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to tame it. "We were just sitting down to eat, weren't we?"

"Yeah, I'm starving," Alex snitched another strip of bacon. "Pile me a plate, Lover Boy."

"Let me behee!" Ducky went into song again, scrunching his face up. "Your little lo-lo-lo-lover boy!"

"You seem a great deal…calmer this morning," Kurama remarked, thanking Ducky on the side for serving him.

"Well, I thought about it and decided you were right." Alex sucked on the end of her fork thoughtfully. "I shouldn't be so peeved; she really didn't have a choice in the matter."

"What are we talking about now?" Ducky asked, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. "Mmm…pulp…"

Kurama and Alex exchanged looks.

"That's gross…" Alex stuck her tongue out in a disgusted fashion as Ducky filtered the pulp with his teeth, and then licked it off.

"Don't change the subject." Ducky wiped his mouth and poked his best friend in the side.

She squirmed away, and scooted her chair further apart from his to avoid any future poking attacks. "We've got a rescue mission of sorts, buddy."

"Something about Elf and demons, right?"

Alex's mouth hung open. "How'd you know?"

"I'm psychic." Ducky beamed, and then rolled his eyes with a giggle. "You were muttering a whole bunch of stuff when I went into Elf's room earlier."

"Oh. Hey! I do not mutter! I growl." Alex smirked and kicked his chair, making a bite of syrupy toast fall off his fork.

"Yes, and it's very sexy. Really. Leave my pork alone, damn you!" Ducky slapped Alex's hand away from his bacon, slightly annoyed. He hated it when other people touched his food. "Anyway, either one of you mind filling me in a bit more?"

"You remember that time Elf hit her head on the table, after she stepped on your bouncy ball, and slipped? " Alex asked nonchalantly as she stole the toast right off his fork and eating it before the other boy could protest.

"It was _your_ bouncy ball, and yeah, she thought you were me and I was you for half a day. I still take offense to that."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up, you so wish you could be me."

"The point please?" Ducky wiped his lips with a napkin and folded his hands in his lap, looking at Alex with a false sense of politeness.

"The point is, darling Ducky-doo," Alex narrowed her eyes as he began to mock her by nodding his head. "Is that you're a douche, and this is sorta like that time only Elf doesn't remember anything."

"Nothing? Nada? Zilch?" Ducky stuck out his lower lip and pondered. "I see. So where is she, when do we leave, what _the hell_ does this have to do with demons, and do I really want to know?"

"_Kurama_, over there, can fill all that in. Now gimmie some more of that toast, and don't skimp out on the powdered sugar."

Both brows raising, Ducky followed the direction in which Alex's finger pointed. Interested, he planted both elbows on the table and cradled his chin in his hands, eagerly waiting for Kurama to stop chewing and talk.

"Kurama huh? Oooh! Secret identity!" His brown eyes zeroed, uncomfortably in Kurama's opinion, on him. "How exciting! Do tell!"

"Well, to answer your questions in order: in a protected temple located in Tokyo, as soon as possible is preferred, it has everything to do with demons, and yes, you may want to know in order to avoid being killed."

"Kooky. Count me in!" He shot his arm into the air and smiled.

"This isn't a game." Kurama was becoming irritated by their refusal to take anything seriously. This was their best friend they were talking about, shouldn't there be more concern?

_Or maybe I'm becoming too protective. Different people have different ways of dealing with misadventure._ He took a moment to regroup his thoughts and feelings, and found himself suddenly questioning how Alex could have a completely different disposition in such a short time.

Ducky definitely had something to do with that. Kurama smiled faintly as he made the connection; the friendship between them was so deep rooted that Ducky knew what was bothering Alex, and said or did exactly what was needed to be said and/or done to bring a balance back. Kurama had no doubt it was much the same the other way around.

"What are you smiling about?" Alex asked, covering her mouth as syrup threatened to spill down her chin.

"Nothing." He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "As I've relayed to Alex—"

"Elf's brain's been fried so to speak, and we gotta go over there with Rose Boy to kick some sense into her."

"Ahh. Gotcha. Sounds fun!"

Alex grinned across the table at Kurama and shrugged. "Fancy words make his brain hurt."

* * *

"Ready for shampoo?" Yukina called through the door to the bath.

"I can do it!" Eris rolled her eyes slightly with a smart smirk. She gave her rubber duck one last giggle-inducing squeeze before dunking her head under water to run the soap in and out.

"Done!" She chirped, splashing around and spilling water over the tub's edge while Yukina laughed and opened a big towel.

"Good job!" The koorime wrapped the soft cotton around the dripping girl and lifted her out. "Such a big girl you're getting to be, Eris-chan!"

"Kama makes me drink my milk." Eris smiled ruefully under the towel as Yukina rubbed her hair dry. "Nina, why's Yay so angry all the time? He doesn't like to have fun."

This was an unexpected question. Yukina was quite for a moment, seriously mulling this over in her mind. She finally enveloped the now clean Eris and toted her on her hip into the room Kurama usually stayed in.

"Hmmm…well, nissan didn't get to play much like you. He has a different sense of fun."

"Like hitting 'Ske-kun and Kuwa-kun?" Eris asked, poking her head through a nightshirt Kurama had left behind.

"Yes!" Yukina giggled. The girl looked adorable with the old shirt hanging past her knees, and over sized wings stuffed through half-hazard holes in the back.

"I like playing with Yay," Eris yawned, letting Yukina tuck her in. "He's funny when he tries not to smile."

Yukina smirked. "He is, isn't he?"

"Nina, when's Kama coming home?"

She sighed inwardly. "Soon, Eris-chan." She smoothed the little girl's hair away, running her fingers over the white bandana the little brat had immediately donned after her bath. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Hai." Eris yawned, snuggling into the pillow and covers. "Night, Nina."

Yukina smiled fondly, pressing her fingers over her lips; Hiei must have worked her harder than expected; Eris _never_ fell asleep so fast. Late into the night, when she herself could not sleep, Kurama's soft voice could be heard whispering stories to sedate the bundle of energy. Now and then their stifled laughter would add to the night's music.

Perhaps it was best that Eris immerse herself in Hiei's teaching.

* * *

There was a growing rumble in the air. Fat drops of water pelted the roof in a slow, lazy rhythm of 'plunk-plink's. Another rumble, louder this time, and longer.

Eris' face creased in her sleep, involuntarily shivering in the cooler temperature, and curled into a tight ball. Her dreams turned sour in the mild storm with no Kurama to soothe her back to deep sleep.

A bright flash; crackling thunder boomed in such a way that Eris sat straight up, eyes wide and scared as she looked around deliriously for the source of the noise. No one was there; the room was dark and lonely.

Drawing her blanket about her like a hooded cloak, Eris clambered off the futon and to the door, peeking into the hallway. The rest of the temple seemed unconcerned about the noise or the scary shadows on the walls. Another flash; her own shadow appeared like a threatening ghost. Her skin began to prickle and itch; Eris ghosted down the ominous hall, and found herself at the window of the kitchen overlooking the garden.

Yusuke had gone home, and both Genkai and Yukina were fast asleep. Eris bit her lip, feet becoming cold on the bare floor. What was she to do? Wait, was that someone moving outside? Eris squinted, willing her eyes to draw in more light. It was!

A spark of familiar consciousness briefly tickled her senses before fading back into a lull. _That's right, Unkie Yay likes trees…_

Taking a Big Girl Breath of Bravery ™, Eris pushed the door open and ventured into the inky night. The garden was a lot spookier like this…

Her sharp teeth were nearly making her lower lip bleed. Eris came to stand under the tree, looking through the undersides of leaves to a high branch where a black lump sat motionless. If she tuned out the soft rain, she could hear languid breathing.

"Yay?" Eris called out in a small, tentative voice. No response from the shadow. She tried again with the same results.

Shivering, Eris was beginning to become desperate. The wind was making the reeds of the pond creak. Quite by accident, and fueled by her panic, Eris' mind reached out to Hiei's.

It _felt_ more like a kick in the head. The older demon grunted and almost fell from his branch.

"Yay?" the little voice barely reached his ears. Finding the source responsible for his rather rude awakening, the initial response to maim the culprit all but fizzled away.

The girl was pale and frightened, eyes almost silver with reflected moonlight. It was nothing short of eerie, but…

"Can I stay with you?" Jagged lightening across the sky, a clap of thunder; Eris could only just control her ki from adding to the storm. "P-please?"

Hiei let out a slow, deep breath, regarding the girl with a critical eye and revolving thoughts in his head.

"Fine."

No sooner had he approved than Eris was in his lap, and folding her trembling wings.

"Just don't talk or move around so much." Hiei grumbled tiredly.

She tucked her head under his chin, despite the annoyed bristle up his back. "I won't. We can share my blanket if you wanna."

Before he could protest, Eris rearranged the thinning blanket to cover them both. It was wet, but sufficient enough for its purpose. The feathers of Eris' wings felt soft and warm where the covering failed.

Every now and again, a loud clap of thunder would make her jump and squeak; Hiei would growl in impatience, but to Eris it sounded more like a strange purring, and she would settle.

So the night continued thusly: Eris keeping the cool night away, and Hiei keeping the anger of the sky at bay.

* * *

**AN**: Holy fish smuggling! I think I got like 30 reviews for that last chapter. SWEET. Sorry for the late update, Junior year sucks arse homework-wise. But yay for Study Hall in which I sneak in snippets of writing.

**Footnotes:**

_(1) Hiei smirked at her raspberry…_ - a rude noise meant to imitate the sound of passing gas, made by blowing air through pursed lips and intended as an insult or gesture of defiance. Thanks, Microsoft Word dictionary!

(2) The song Ducky and Alex sing, in case anyone really wants to know, is Just to be Close to You by the Backstreet Boys. Such an old school song of theirs. Geez! Memories, man. Off their very very very first CD. Nothing like pre-puberty Nick Carter. Woot! Bwahaha.

**Review Replies:**

InuKurama: She's sort of a bipolar, extremely violent Eris, huh? Heh, but we love her anyway.

Spirits Miko: LOL Maybe a few leashes would do some good.

Samuraiduck27: You just wanna pick her up and squeaze her to death right? Hiei too. Tehee.

Ciardra: Yay! Thanks. I get warm fuzzies when people say that. Weee!

Kitsune Kit: WOOT! Happy Birthday to yooouuuu! I'd bake you a cake, but..well I suck at cooking. Heh. Sweet snow does go good with cake though…hehehehe.

Darkness Shall Set you Free: At least you said please. XD

EmbyrFlame: It's like I'm running a marathon or something. Whoosh!

Time and Fate: More is given. :)

Darkspirals: Mmm…pants…must have more pants…

Dolphingirl132173: I thought it would be kinda pointless to drag that part out. :p Even though it is fun to write. XD

Ladyblabbermouth: Shall do! Thanks again.

Crystalkioku: PIE! AND CHOCOLATE! Totally awesome! Sugar high time WOOT! Dude…Hiei as a daddy equals squeeCUTE/squee Not really sure what I would like to do with those two in terms of relationship..but we shall find out soon enough won't we?

Psycho: Che. No! Haha, kidding. Yes you may have cake. Only the nice reviewers can have cake.

Hidden Soul Hidden Heart: I wouldn't say STUDIED, but I did observe. XD Yay for babies and toddlers! So cute!

Tsuiraku Tanrei: YAY! I wasted six hours of someone's life! I call that quite an accomplishment. Bwahaha! Anyway, yes! She shall be grown once again. As much as I love her as a wittle kid, it's creepy writing Kurama having her as a love interest. You aren't the only one who's going to pick up on the pedophile aspect of things. snerk

Ookami no Aya: Yes ma'am! Me-ow..lol

Kurai Shinigami: Conversation is good, ne?

Lala: Eris needs some cake. XD

Kawaii Kitsune Cub: Oh yes. I love the flamboyance, ye-es I dooooo! XD He's such a…I can't even describe him. lol My own character and I can't say a thing about him. I really think Hiei would make a good daddy. :) As much of a bastard as he can be, the squirt's got a good heart.

RaindropsRteardrops: I just have a flair for cuteness. Wah! lol

Insaneningen14: Yeah it surprised me too. Don't ask me when she learned. And don't die! The police are already after me. Heh.

Neko-tsuin: Doooo it! Seriously! Lady-of-the-Dragon-Flame is. You can start a fan site together just for moi. XD

Heliophobe: Creepy isn't it! I'll have him acting like normal soon enough, no worries. Hehe.

RoseFire-shadow666: Nyao? What other stories do you speak of? My Elfwood ones? NEVERRRR! Just kidding. lol

Hikari Yume: YEAH! OC powers unite!

Kali Kitsune: Hallo newbie! Come join the partay that is HAMS! XD

WildRashi: go-me-danceWoot! Woot/go-me-dance Sweetness! Give me the wordical goodness!

Koroga: Note to Yusuke: next time, don't get caught. XD

And what is this of a debt I hear, Koroga-san? Hmm? Wait…do I really want to know? lol Can't wait to hear from your Land of Chaos!

Lady-of-the-Dragon-Flame: Expect full pimpage too. Weee! I'm excited. I hope I can continue to inspire you! Say HI to your mommy for me. Hahahaha

SweetGirl7: Yeah Whip Boy! Hahaha that sounds so dirty…

The Fire Youkai Paige: No hopping! Hopping is forbidden! Just kidding. You can hop. But only little! Heh.


	4. Mr Mumpy

"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature."

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

As the feeling of being thrown into a pot filled with eels, and not so friendly underwater currents subsided, Alex and Ducky collapsed one another.

"Ugh…what the _hell_ sort of torture device was that?" Alex groaned, unable to persuade her limbs to push her off the ground.

"Y'know, it wasn't so bad," Ducky stared at the sky above, dazed. "In a weird, scared-for-my-life way."

"Ducky, you worry me."

"It does take some getting used to." Kurama admitted, helping them both up. "Portals aren't exactly a standard way of transportation for humans."

"Are we there?" Ducky looked around at the noticeably different greenage surrounding them.

"You mean here." Kurama smiled, pulling him away from a poisonous weed. Trying not to pout, the curly haired blonde made himself be content by giving the fox a wink, successfully making him shift uncomfortably and let go of his arm.

"What's that sound?" Alex canted her head to the side, listening to what seemed to be shouts in the near distance. "Sounds like someone's getting their butts handed to them."

Kurama hummed and looked at the angle of the sun. "It's too early for Yusuke to be training with Genkai…"

"Enough sitting around here then," Alex finished brushing herself off and headed towards the fighting grunts and shouts. "My ADD is kicking in; let's check this place out."

"Righto!" Ducky followed after, Kurama not far behind. "Onward to the prize of Elfyness! We shall save thee!"

"Can we go on without the commentary please?"

"Ahh, sorry."

"I had hoped Botan would have dropped us somewhere more—" Kurama flicked a sticky vine away from his hair. "—clear."

"Come on, Shu, humor us," Ducky threw a friendly arm around his shoulders. "We're small town kids with no adventure experience beyond a stove fire."

"That was set by us." Alex laughed evilly. "Besides, that tree just moved its root so you wouldn't trip. I think you'll be fine, Mr. Plant Manipulator."

"That's really creepy how it all just moves…" Ducky murmured, though his interest betrayed hesitance.

Kurama smiled inwardly, changing the subject. "You've met most of us before, but I still have to warn you; life in Genkai's temple will not be what you expect." He moved an overhanging gaggle of leafy branches aside; a full side view of the property greeted their eyes. Alex oohed over the picture it made, and Ducky had to drag her away by the arm, lest she fall down the small hill head first.

"_Kya_!" The sword missed again, making a sharp whistle through the air. Not to be deterred so easily, the offense switched swiftly to defense. Learning about the opponent's weakness comes only from knowing one's own.

The enemy came, attacking the defense with no sign of letting up, or having mercy for the inexperienced. Several blocks were managed, making arms tremble from the sheer force of the blows.

_Think; how can I get through?_

Blue-grey eyes trained themselves to follow each strike, each blow; the form was flawless and the eyes could hardly track the patterns. The sword was brought up to shield just in time.

"That could have been your head," was the smug grunt.

"Damnit!" The apprentice growled, slowly losing in the deadlock.

"Don't let frustration corrode your mind. A distracted mind means a distracted sword, and a dead swordsman."

"Sensei should listen to his own words!" The point had been found. Pushing with just enough might, the deadlock was broken. The student slipped to the left, pirouetted, and brought the blade down upon the teacher's neck.

"Not fast enough!" An instant later, the student knelt on both knees with a sword's point to the throat. The student's own weapon clattered to the ground halfway across the hall.

Neither moved for many seconds; there was a distinctly superior feel to the atmosphere. "Your footing is still wrong."

"I _so_ almost had you, Yay!" Eris stuck out her bottom lip and shoved Hiei's sword away.

"Six to zero, that's still nothing for you." He leaned on the bamboo sword like a cane, staring arrogantly down at her without an offer to help the young one up.

"You're still slower with the bamboo." She stuck out her tongue, and kicked at it in hopes to make him fall; no such luck.

Attention elsewhere, Hiei only grunted his annoyance. "What's wrong?" Eris asked, canting her head to the side, listening. Voices were coming down from the surrounding hills and trees. One sounded familiar, and slightly impatient with the others. Her eyes widened, a smile spreading across her face.

"Is that…"

"Seems your fox has returned." Hiei gave a snort of laughter as his pupil squealed and flew off in a blink.

Eris brushed the tree tops, picking up the trail of Kurama; she could barely fly straight in her excitement.

"Are we there yet?" A male voice, well, it sounded sort of male-like, floated clearly to her ears. "These bugs are murder on my sanity!"

"Cheer up, you'll by the next big story on Unsolved Oddities of the Paranormal: the tragic death of small town boy by sanity sucking blood eaters!"

"You're not even trying to be remotely funny now are you?"

"Shut up. I'm tired."

"It's not much farther. We should be through Genkai's barriers now."

Eris' stomach flipped; she definitely knew _that_ voice!

"KAAAMAA-AA!" Eris dove through the canopy, her target the tall boy in front with the foxish hair, and dive bombed him into the ground. He didn't have chance.

"Waaii! I missed you!" She squeezed him around the middle, almost suffocating the poor demon. Suddenly, she let go and swatted him on the stomach, ignoring the perplexed look. "_Jerk_! What took you so long!"

"Happy to see you too." Kurama smiled and shook his head; it was amazing how much she'd changed in such a short amount of time!

Uncontrolled laughter brought then both back from the afterglow of reunion; Ducky and Alex were hanging off each other, trying not to collapse. "Now _that's_ what I call a glomp!" Alex snerked, wiping her eyes. "Dude, Kurama, you flew like six feet!"

"That was _awesome_!" Ducky agreed, catching his breath. "Are those things _real_? I'm not seeing any strings." He peered at Eris red wings, extremely interested and amused.

"Must be. I almost got clipped in the head by one." Alex coughed to clear the giggles in her throat, and gave Kurama a hand up, still grinning madly. "So, lemme guess: parrot demon or something?" She addressed the small winged girl.

Eris scowled at this strange human. "Phoenix. Who're you?"

"Relax, kid," Ducky took advantage of this chance, and began brushing dirt off Kurama's back with a gleam in his eye. "We're friends."

Eris sniffed, and snatched up Kurama's hand, not liking the way the gangly boy touched her fox. "Who are they, Kama?" she whispered loudly.

Kurama kneeled down on one knee, holding her gently in place by the elbows. Eris smiled back at him; she loved his eyes, they were so pretty even when a little sad like they were now. "They're your friends, Eris. Your friends, and mine."

"Huh?" Eris titled her head sideways, a little confused by his words and the shocked looks on the new people's faces. She shrugged, attention span spent, and tugged on his arm. "Nina's making sushi! I'm hungry, come on!"

Alex covered her mouth in disbelief, watching her baby cousin—her baby _demon_ cousin—chatter on happily to Kurama and walk ahead of them through the underbrush. She leaned on Ducky for support, who was quiet in his own thoughts. He adjusted the bag over his shoulder with a little hop, straining a smile down at Alex. "Well." He shrugged, unable to finish the sentence. It was beyond words.

"Eris-chaaan!"

"Whaaaat?" the little girl called back, still dragging Kurama along up the front steps. "Nina! Kama's come home!"

"Kurama-kun?" Yukina came through the doors, a kitchen utensil in one hand, and smiled as her red eyes alighted on the vision of the MIA demon. "Ah! Welcome back! Did you…?"

"Hai." Kuramam nodded, and smiled back at the maiden, stepping aside to reveal two sweaty teenagers laboring to make it to the top of the steps.

"Hey, Shu!" Ducky called up between huffs of breath. "Do us a favor!" he hucked the rucksack off his shoulder and lobbed it into the air. Yukina looked at it curiously as Kurama caught it. "What's this?"

"Everything we need. Special Elf restoration equipment." Alex puffed, clutching a stitch in her side. "Good God! Haven't you people ever heard of escalators?"

Eris blinked, shielding her face from the sun to look up at her. "Elf? What's elf?"

Ducky and Alex exchanged uncertain looks; Kurama felt a pang of sadness for them. They really hadn't thought it was this bad.

"You must be Alexandria and Duckington," Yukina smiled, thankfully changing the subject. "Please, you must be tired and hungry. Come in, the afternoon meal is almost prepaired."

Both teens wrinkled their noses at the formal use of their names. "Ugh, please, call me Ducky," the blonde shuddered. "Duckington makes me sound normal."

"Same here. Alex will be fine for me." Alex followed after the ice maiden and the other two demons glued at the hand, taking a cue from the latter pair in removal of her shoes before entering the cool temple. She could feel the uncomfortable perspiration drying on her skin; oh her CD collection for a bath! This place was hotter than hell! How did these people stand it in all those clothes? It was all Alex could do to keep her shirt on, and she wasn't even drunk.

Yukina agreed amiably, "My name is Yukina, though this little one here has adopted me as 'Nina.' Just in case you get confused."

"Yay says to bring him something later." Eris informed her surrogate sister before snatching up an opened juice box left on the table in the common area.

Alex raised a brow. "Yay?"

"Hiei, my brother." Yukine beamed. "Is he still connected, Eris-chan?"

The phoenix shook her head, sucking on the straw. "He's being antisocial again."

"When is he not?" A cocky voice came from the doorway to the kitchen. "Keiko's freaking out in the kitchen, she can't find the extra rice, Yukina." Yusuke laughed at his girlfriend's silly plight, and took the juice box right out of Eris' clutches. "Stole my juice, you snot!"

"Liar, it's mine!" Eris smirked, and stuck out her tongue. Yusuke shrugged and took a sip anyway, walking back into the kitchen.

"Hey! My _name_ is on it!" Eris glowered and raced to save her juice box.

"You don't even know your ABC's!"

"Neither do you!"

"Yeah? Well you're short!"

"Your comebacks are lame!"

"Shorty!"

"Idiot!"

"Feather duster!"

"Doof!"

"That would be Yusuke." Kurama laughed as the almost demon world king stuck a hand out the doorway in a wave.

"Aaah." Ducky said with interest. Alex elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! Hey, what?"

"I can tell you right now he's got a girl." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, at least Elf's still got her arguing skills."

"That damn women's intuition," Ducky snapped his fingers, still dwelling on the lost love power candidate. "Thanks for sharing the wealth."

"No prob." Alex took the initiative and sank into a comfy chair. "So," she rubbed her eyes. "You kinda forgot to mention the whole _SHE'S GOT WINGS_ thing."

"It wouldn't have mattered." Kurama frowned. "Either way you would have come."

"Did you really have to take advantage of that?" Alex did not look happy. "That's cold, man. You could have at least given us some warning."

"I did, in ample supply. Perhaps you suffer from selective hearing?"

"Oookay, let's just chill for a minute." Ducky shifted uncomfortably. "No need to have a go at each other."

"Insolent whelp…" A shadow growled in annoyance; Hiei appeared in the window, and started as he saw the room full of people, or more specifically Ducky. "Oh not _you_ again."

"Screw you!" Ducky put his hands on his narrow hips, and then smirked mischievously at the fire demon. "Besides, you got off _easy_."

"Who the hell is that?" Alex found him vafuely familiar.

"Hiei." Kurama greeted with a cordial smile, happy to see his friend again.

"Kurama." He nodded back, throwing a disdainful look Ducky's way.

"Looking for Eris?"

"In the kitchen," Hiei gave him a bored look, and hastily brushed black hair safely away from his third eye. "I know."

"Is there anyone here that _isn't_ a demon?" Alex asked, a little alarmed by the purple eye.

Hiei sneered at her. "Watch yourself, _human_."

"Was there something you needed?" Kurama broke Alex's retort off.

"You woman is ignoring me," Hiei scowled, and dropped to a sitting position on the sill. "The detective is doing his best to get a tornado out of her."

Ducky wrinkled his freckled nose and tried not to laugh. Leaning against the side of Alex's chair, he failed and gave a sick smile in Kurama's direction. "I'm curious…does this classify you as pedophile?"

Even Hiei found the expression on the fox's face was priceless, and let out a bark of laughter. "The stick is right, in a way." He ignored Ducky's glare at the stick comment and enjoyed the uncharacteristic sense of being uncomfortable about the calm demon. "I did find myself wondering about all that giggling late at night. Perhaps the girl should graduate to a room of her own."

"Despite your mentality for the reason, you may be right." Kurama frowned, crossing his in an attempt to save his graceful manner.

"Why? Tempted?" Alex snickered, hiding her face behind Ducky's arm at the look sent her way.

"I am _not_ a pedophile." He cleared his throat, and moved to his own seat across from Alex. "Switching to more favorable topics for discussion, what's been done for her demon energies?"

"Training with me." Hiei smirked at the surprise. "Runt isn't half bad with a sword."

"You're not going to let her take one home are you?" Alex asked nervously, images of a deranged little girl chasing her with a sword passing through thoughts.

Hiei's smirk grew; he chose not to answer the question, much to the girl's annoyance and worry.

The silence was tense; the two teens were more uncomfortable in the strange surroundings than ever. The demon smirking in the window wasn't helping much, but as Ducky looked up for a furtive glance, he found no dark being planted on the sill. There was only hot afternoon sun.

"Hey—" The curly blonde pouted. "Well, so much for small talk."

Kurama laughed internally, wanting to say it was a wasted effort, but held his piece in respect for his friend. He'd only just mended their relationship; it wouldn't do to have a half-thought remark split them apart again.

Eris toddled into the room, rescued juice box slurping noisily. Smiling at her victory, she happily made her way to Kurama and crawled unceremoniously into his lap.

"Well hello there." He chuckled, brushing feathers out of his face. Alex and Ducky went back to being uncomfortably quiet.

"Hi!" Eris chirped, giving a big slurp. Stupid Yusuke, it was almost gone!

They were at a loss. She did nothing but sit and bask in the company of Kurama, totally unconcerned with the tension Ducky and Alex surely felt. The demon fox kept fed her miscellaneous questions about her day, the weather, nothing that really mattered, but gave her great joy in answering. Alex stuck out her lower lip at Ducky; it was _so cute!_

"It's still her." Ducky laughed suddenly, shaking his head. "Different, but still her. Everything is all there."

The words made little sense to Eris, who looked at him oddly (what a strange human!), but Alex had to agree. This little winged girl sitting amiably across from them was like a memory come alive. Alex remembered the way her cousin always chased her brother around the yard, fighting fiercely for a stolen toy back, or exchanging sharp teasing. Even the way she sat, comfortable, yet ready to spring into action lest something more interesting happened.

"You seem to like Shu quite a bit," Ducky smiled, a twitch of mischief in the corners. "Is he your special friend?"

"Ducky..." Kurama warned.

"Shoe?" Eris blinked, confused. "Why do you call Kama, Shoe?"

"Duck read his name wrong, and I gave him flack for it." Alex explained, laughing slightly at the memory.

"Ooh, s-h-u!" Eris laughed. "The first three letters in your human name, Kama!"

"That's right." Kurama nodded, and shifted her off his lap. His leg was starting to fall asleep. "Speaking of human counterparts, I should pay my mother a visit. Secretly of course, I'm still supposed to be away."

"Can I come?" The demon girl asked with big bright eyes. "I'll fly real high so no one sees me?"

"Good luck saying no to that face," Alex muttered from the corner of her mouth. "I forgot how annoying it was…"

Kurama bit the inside of his cheek and cursed internally. A thought crossed his mind, and it was all he could do to not send a smirk towards the others. "If you can convince Ducky and Alex to come as well."

"What!"

"YAY!" Eris launched herself at them, bouncing like a dense ball of energy. "Pleeeease! It'll be fun, I promise! They never let me outside the barriers; Ske-kun, Kuwa-kun, and Ko-chan won't even let me go all the way down the big steps! You have to go!"

Alex turned to Kurama with a stoic expression. "Have I ever told you how much I hate you?"

"Feel reassured that I already knew." The cunning fox smiled in feigned innocence, and stood, rooting through his pockets. First things first, he'd have to change clothes and eat something. Kurama looked at the communicator in his palm briefly before depositing the device back in his pocket. It would probably be best if he kept that a little longer. Yusuke wouldn't miss it.

"What's going on in here?" Keiko stuck her head into the room, hair pulled back from her face with a headband.

"Koooo! You can come too!" Eris pounced on her, latching onto the older girl's leg.

Keiko laughed at the eagerness, and blew a feather away from her nose. "Come where? What's this you're planning now?"

"We're all going to visit Kama's mom!" the little demon announced in a confidant tone.

"Whoooaa, hold your horses, cowgirl!" Ducky stood, crossing his arms. "I didn't agree to anything like that!"

The puppy eyes she gave him were dooming. The teen sank back into his seat, pouting that a little kid had bested him. It was his sixteen-year-old best friend, but still a kid with the same mentality more or less. Eris giggled. Victory once again!

"Actually, I wouldn't mind going and checking the city out." Alex thought out loud. "I've never been outside the country, let alone been to Tokyo."

Kurama's eye twitched. They weren't supposed to _agree_. He really did not feel comfortable letting Eris loose on the city. With the two spastic Americans along, it would be even more difficult to keep a low profile. Well, at least most of his classmates were on vacation.

"Want some help with this lot?" Keiko asked, trying not to laugh at the predicament he'd put himself in.

Kurama breathed in relief, and gave her a thankful smile. "Help would be appreciated, yes."

"I'm seventeen and still being treated as a little kid." Alex muttered, looking very much like a disgruntled two year old.

"At least your mom doesn't worry about calling for a babysitter still." Ducky said in a low voice.

"Ducky, I _am_ your babysitter."

"Doesn't count if you don't get paid."

"Well…"

"Oh God, you're _kidding_ me!" Ducky looked up in horror at her. "I need to have a chat with that woman! Family meeting! She is _so_ dead!"

Alex laughed and pushed him off the couch; Eris squealed as she barely escaped from the danger zone.

"Watch where you're throwing people!" She huffed.

"Lunch is ready!" Yukina called as she passed the doorway, breaking up what could have been an impressive noogie fest between the three of them.

Kurama blinked, and then shook his head, amused. "It's difficult to believe anything is different."

"How did you _do_ that?"

Keiko and Kurama looked on in amazement as a previously fidgety, energy plagued brat of a demon sat content and quiet for the first time since leaving the last step of Genkai's temple. Having not a memory of seeing modern houses or large crowds of people in city streets for that matter, Eris had ceased her questions of everything and the attempts to wander off by herself to investigate. Keeping the coat on in the hot weather to hide her large wings was a feat in itself, even for a supposed fire demon.

Alex and Keiko, who were developing an interesting system of taking turns in dragging Eris or Ducky back to their group, had finally bought some duct tape and threatened to tape her wings together to keep her grounded. The phoenix quit trying to weasel out of the coat after that, but the girls were hard pressed for ideas on how to shut her up for more than six seconds. Even Kurama had ceased to think that twenty questions was a fun game.

Ducky smirked, leaning back on the park bench they'd stationed at with his hands behind his head. "Common sense people, come on."

Grudgingly, Alex gave him her praise. "I must admit, Duck-chan," she adopted the Japanese suffix, "I feel stupid for not thinking of it earlier."

Ducky snorted. "You should. I can't believe you forgot about Mr. Mumpy!"

They all were silent for a few moments, watching the girl act like a normal human in the act of an imaginary tea party with a red, stuffed rabbit. Patches of the cotton fur were matted together with ages of rubbing and hugging, and the glass eyes had scratches over the eerie blue tint. One ear had been sewn back on, but black thread was now starting to come undone once again.

Alex narrowed her eyes at the old toy that had her baby cousin so enamored. "That thing still creeps the hell out of me. I never did figure out how it kept getting into the refrigerator."

"What?" Keiko asked, alarmed, now eyeing the bunny with the same apprehension. Maybe a spirit possessed it? She'd seen stranger things, it wasn't unusual at all.

Ducky laughed and rolled his eyes at his friend's stupidity. "Idiot, the first time was Eris on accident."

"The first time?" Kurama asked, leaning forward with amusement.

Ducky nodded, beaming devilishly. "Yup!"

Alex bonked him on the back of the head, temple throbbing in angry annoyance. "You jerk! You know how many nightmares you gave me!"

"Yeah, I kept a record." Ducky continued laughing as he rubbed the sore spot, hopping over the backrest of the bench to run away from a steaming Alex. Among the other dozens of playmates chasing and wrestling with each other around the grassy park, it barely looked out of place. Kurama relaxed. Maybe this outing was starting to go right.

"Kama?" The curious voice distracted him from his musings.

"Yes, Eris-chan?" He answered, looking down onto the ebony head still turned in fascination towards her newly acquired toy.

"Do I know Alex-chan and Ducky-chan? From before?"

"From before?" Kurama and Keiko exchanged interested and hopeful looks. None of them had ever told her about her previous life, fearful of the future repercussions it could cause. Letting Eris learn and remember on her own was chosen best course of action.

"Eris-chan? What did you mean, 'before'?" Keiko repeated the question, sitting down next to the girl on the warm ground and crossing her legs neatly.

"Huh?" Eris blinked, confused. Her face was scrunched up, trying to keep the sun out of her eyes as she regarded Keiko like _she_ was the one acting strange. "I didn't say anything. Ko, you're weird."

Keiko's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "Um…okay. Kurama…?"

Kurama, she was shocked to see, was smiling delightedly. He waved her worries away, and tapped the side of his head. "The first click."

**AN:** EEEEK! Don't kill me! Please! X/ This Nefus was under buttloads of stress. That and her muse ran away with her mojo. She can still hear the bastard cackling (from his new!steel cage, bwaha!). Enough third-person, I know this chapter was quite teh suxorz, but bare with me. I was a messy ball of twitchy nerves these few weeks. But now tis spring break, and what a glorious rest I shall have! The mojo is flowing again. BEWARE!

**Footnotes:**

None!

**Review Replies:**

From now on, all review replies will be posted in the RTR/HAMS LiveJournal community. It'll free up time between chapter posts, and make the people happier. They'll usually be posted a day after the chapter itself. The url for that is in me profile, if you so choose to wander over there. :)


	5. Osmosis

_"And when the answer that you want  
is in the question that you state,  
come what may…"_  
—"Blood Red Summer"; Coheed and Cambria

* * *

"Life is like a box of chocolates. Especially when all the chocolates are eaten, and suddenly the world decides you've been having it too easy and wants the chocolates back. The passion fruit truffles just aren't the same when they come back up."

"…I find it disturbing when you monologue."

"Hey." Ducky frowned and stuck his tongue out at Alex. "Talk to Eris. She'll tell you it's true."

Eris, on her back with her past life friends, burped loudly and moaned. "I'm feelin' it."

"Figures." Keiko, lip twitching up (or down from their vantage point) in amusement, was a dark shape above them with her arms crossed and a halo of sun as she blocked the light. "I told you not to eat so much bento at lunch."

"You're such a nag, Ko-chan."

Keiko's mouth fell open, brows drawn together in indignation of the truth, and huffily put her hands on either hip. "You little—!"

Eris rolled onto her stomach and giggled. "Chill, I'm joking! You know I love yooouuu!"

"I see you're picking up words from Ducky and Alex yet." Kurama strode over to stand next to Keiko, hands buried in his pockets to disguise the nervous fiddling of his fingers. It was scant more than a few twitches, but the kitsune was not one to reveal himself openly despite the slightness.

"The corruption has yet to begin!" Ducky raised a fist in the air, not moving from the relaxed position on the ground, the other hand was a comfortable pillow beneath his golden head.

"So where were you, Mr. Disappearo?" Alex opened an eye and turned her head to peer up at him. It wasn't that she minded, at least not so much now as her annoyance at him leaving them without a word had faded, but that he acted so nonchalant about it now irked her.

"Looking." He didn't elaborate, nodding to Keiko as she opted out of the conversation to head for the public bathroom in the grocery store across the street.

Alex rolled her eyes at the attempt for secrecy. "For your mom? We already know why you wanted to leave the temple. What's the big secret?"

Kurama felt a twinge of irritation towards the black-haired teen. His business and means of behavior were of no concern to her. It shouldn't matter. "Nothing you need busy yourself with. It would have been a bore for you anyway."

"Bullshit. You ditched us. I don't appreciate being dumped in the middle of a foreign city, especially when things could turn ugly faster than I can comprehend." Alex sat up and twisted around to give him a glare; her anger was quick returning in the wake of Kurama's indifference. "Sticking Keiko with the responsibility of explaining to the locals why a little girl has _real_ wings popping out of her back is pretty shitty of you."

"I wouldn't walk around _flaunting_ them!" Eris huffed, latching onto the fact that Alex had just insulted her intelligence rather than acknowledge her beloved Kama really had left them alone.

"So says the one who had to be threatened with duct tape." Ducky muttered from the corner of his mouth. Eris punched him in the shoulder.

It was, of course, true. Kurama had more or less snuck off to do the errand on his own. But there had been no other way around it. He didn't trust the trio not to make a scene, even a minor one. Keiko, however, was more than capable of handling a situation. She did date Yusuke after all.

"Maybe he just wanted to see her on his own, right Kama?" Eris titled her head back, arms spread-eagle, and gave him an upside down smile. "I know I would."

That shut everyone up. Kurama felt a rush of…something for her; it was a jumble of emotions. She'd pegged him correctly without effort. He just wanted…to see his mother. It had to be done; a private sort of reassurance that not everything had been flipped and molded itself anew while Kurama wasn't looking. He was away so much, and never heard his mother complain past a sigh.

Eris abandoned her playful laze on the grass for a spot in Kurama's arms. The kitsune returned the hug gladly, and whispered a thank you in her ear. "I'm sorry I left."

He felt her shrug and burry her head further into his stomach. "I knew you'd come back."

Acceptance without question…years ago it was something the bandit king had come to expect and demand from everyone. But Yoko was not the same thief, and Kurama was not the same Yoko. Now it just felt like he'd kicked her in the stomach. Faith and loyalty were virtuous, and he appreciated the phoenix for the trust, but it was true that too much of a good thing could turn bad.

"What's the matter? What's wrong?" Keiko returned from her trip to the restroom, finding a much less at ease mood hanging about. Frowning, she looked questioningly from the odd embrace to Ducky and Alex. Alex shook her head; spots of red in her cheeks only slightly faded from her temper attack, and went to find a tree to sit under.

Ducky sighed, biting the inside of his lip. "Don't ask."

Kurama shook the hair from his eyes, dropping an apologetic smile at Keiko, who seemed to guess the situation, and smiled back. "Don't worry about it," she mouthed silently.

Eris must have felt the tension alleviate in her Kurama, and sidled to his side, clutching a hand. "Are we going home now?" she asked, looking up with Mr. Mumpy dangling from her other hand.

Kurama nodded. "I think so."

"Yeah, I've had enough sun for one day." Ducky gingerly scratched a bug bite on his pink neck. "Or maybe a week…"

"Remind me about that aloe when we get back," Keiko told him, suddenly remembering his earlier complaint about sunburn.

"Righto." Ducky forced back a hiss. Despite his precaution the scratched area stung, sending a very uncomfortable feeling through every nerve and down his spine. "C'mon, Alex! I wanna get back before I completely fry!"

"Stuff it, you're fine ya big baby." She made to slap him innocently on the neck as she left her tree, but was put off by a flick at her own tender ear. Clapping a hand over it, Alex swatted at Ducky. "JERK!"

"Would everyone stop hitting me please?" Not pulling off the originally intended pout, Ducky ducked behind Keiko and stuck out his tongue.

The walk back was uneventful. Conversation varied from what things were called in Japanese, what was for dinner, to why you said 'geese' instead of 'gooses.' Alex chatted more than civilly, her earlier anger almost completely dissipated, which Kurama was thankful for. His apology may or may not have brought her opinion of him back up. Eris was unusually quiet, only asking a few questions.

"Did you see your mom?" something was niggling at the back of Kurama's mind; he gave a slow nod.

"Yes. My brother is faking a cough to avoid school tomorrow. She's less than fooled." He smiled wryly, yet the niggling didn't disappear. Instead of a smile or possible giggle, there was a slight tug between their connected hands.

She was beginning to lag. Little droplets of sweat that had no business being there collected on her skin, yet she seemed unconcerned…aloof even…

Alex and Ducky's speculation about the fading light was hazy in the background music of the street sounds, like bees humming over the same flower. Darkness was started to bleed into the day, pushing the sun down in the west. Will we make it back before the streetlamps came on? Yeah, probably, we passed that tree earlier. The sentences were stuck between each ear, bouncing back and forth and slipping off the haze that acted as a barrier keeping them from anchoring in her thoughts. Eris' legs were on auto-pilot, this strange feeling of detachment only affecting the immediate mind.

Someone was questioning her, worried; she recognized the emotional quality change from casual to a sharp uptake, tickling the pit of her stomach.

The old, dark stone that was the first step up the steep staircase came under Eris' view. The temple was at the top. _I'll be all right then. Grandma Genki will know what's wrong, and Nina'll give me tea._

It felt as if she'd moved, but she was no nearer to the step than before. Eris was curiously stuck, seemingly by the volition of her own body. Kurama's hand was cold in hers (_Cold? Why? Am I making him sick too_?), and she tugged on it for the first time known to her.

"Kama…" Eris frowned, a child's confused pout. The simple syllables sounded weak to her ears. Something was wrong. "I can't move."

Concerned voice, a palm on her brow, cold and soft against worrisome weeping skin. So much worry, Eris could feel it, thick and heavy in a cloud.

Black. A cloak. Disdain, annoyance, grumbles, indignant yelling, help, please, and suddenly it was clear. Clear, dusky sky, light flashing like cameras with twenty-watt bulbs where it filtered through the trees and sped by, the cloud of cold hands and emotion personifications at her back.

The body beneath Eris moved like liquid silver over glass: swift, silent (except for the inevitable cloak flap), steps delicate and powerful, and at the same time seeming to barely brush a single blade of grass or displace a leaf. It seemed so easy to the eyes (if one's eyes could follow), but the muscles working and sliding against one another told her otherwise; it was experience, ability. It would be years before she could ever hope to move like this on her own.

As if the efforts put forth were her own, Eris' head drooped in exhaustion. Scents of mossy trees, rain, and the color of dark midnight filled her (perceptive, strong for a human, yet weaker for a demon) nose. Something along the lines of an early morning shower, and the smell of how lightening looks; strange, how sights could have smells, but there they were: mixing and tumbling in her nose and all at once she knew who's back bore her. Funny, she could never do that before.

"Yay," Eris could get nothing stronger than a sigh out. "I think I'm sick."

"Shut up," was the snarled reply. "You're about to cook yourself to death, of course you're sick! Stupid girl."

All at once, the world stopped whizzing by. A few muddled thoughts and Eris found herself being whisked away from the fire demon. Setting sunlight bathed the rafters of the temple in a soothing red shadow. Red. She decided she liked that color as it she watched it darken above her until a lamp was lit. Red, yellow, and black shadows danced on the ceiling. Who's ceiling? Whose arms had carried her to this room?

The coat was gone, and it was blessedly cooler. For a moment. A breeze fluttered in through an opened window; the door was left open. But now she couldn't _feel_ it anymore. There were no more breezes. It felt like a fan blowing hot, dry air on her during 100-degree weather. Hands pressing against her skin that were once cold, now turned rapidly warm and made her feel sick.

People rushed about, looking like blurs to Eris. Her eyes were moving avidly, trying to catch the comforting sight of their faces, but they couldn't keep up. In defeat, she closed them.

And all the world turned into a blazing heat.

* * *

"Section nine's clear."

"Did you take out the trash?"

"No."

"Then it's not clear."

Will gave a grumbling sigh deep in his throat. If he knew being properly dead would stick him with a worse job than any on earth, he'd have clung to Eris and permanently fused himself to her. Irritated, he tapped a few keys, hard, on the console and pushed through the door that was unfortunately closed.

It was ridiculous to be irritated with simple things, like doors and floor tiles and light bubs that were too bright, but Will let his self be angry. There were few things in the afterlife that could bear his silent rages; better it be an inanimate object than a poor passing ogre. Even the bodiless ghosts and spirits passing by shivered as if _he'd_ walked through _them_.

Being dead sucked. More so with an ethereal body. He couldn't float through walls, no amount of concentration could make him visible to a living being, he couldn't think straight sometimes when passing between worlds, and most of all…he missed Eris, Alex, and Ducky.

"Hurry it up, will you?" Heidi's face blipped onto the tiny screen of his communicator, eyebrows arched and puckered, as was the norm when she was impatient and feeling particularly superior to him. "I could have been there and back twice now."

"Well then, princess, why don't you walk your ass down here and do it yourself?" Will snapped, couldn't help it, and turned the blasted contraption off.

And then there was Heidi. Oh, Heidi. The epitome of 'disgruntled spirit.'

Now, Will liked to think of himself as a patient guy, nice even. It was hard to tell where his temper came from, whether it was his own or developed with Eris' help, but if there was ever a person who could demolish the safety wall, Heidi was it.

Thinking about her was a trial, but being _around_ the older girl was enough to make you wish she were alive just so you could kill her. Heidi and her up turned nose, flippy blonde hair (_always_ in a pony tail; _Try some variation!_), and green eyes scrutinizing him. Her mouth and eyes were a deadly team. When his mistakes were spotted, the mouth was quick to make it known. Usually in the most derogatory way possible.

"What's your business?" A bored, monotone voice asked over the intercome as Will came to a locked door. The screen over the security code keypad bore a green ogre's face, black eyes blurry with sleep.

Will grinned and gave a little wave into the camera next to the screen. "Heya Joe. Working late again?"

"That you William?" Joe rubbed his scabby face with a beefy green fist, and spoke with a gravelly voice. "Yeah I'm stuck in overtime. You here for pick up?"

Will liked Joe. He was a bit grungy, but reminded him of the friendly, teenager garbage man with the long hair that used to playfully flirt with Eris and lived next door when she was a kid. Joe was gritty, brash, and the only one who could match Heidi's stubbornness with his own. An all around good guy.

"Nope. Disposal."

"Aw man. That one they split this morning?"

"That's the one."

"Geez…" Joe flicked something crusty off a claw, shaking his head. "It's a stinker. That room's going to be smelly'rn a phantom skunk come morning. Good luck, Willy! And hey, don't let that ball buster get to yeh. The pissed off look doesn't suit you."

Will laughed and sighed. Yep, definitely a good guy. "I'm trying, Joe. Lord knows I'm trying…"

With a buzz, the door shuddered open admitting him to the Section 9 Splinching Wing. Not everything that came through here was splinched, but it was hard enough to split conjoined souls apart that the success rate was very low. Pristine white linoleum and stainless steel stretched the corridor, reflecting the brightness of the overhead lighting almost blindingly. The cleanliness was a farce; what happened behind each steel door was less than a clean and pure process.

_I wish there was a proper crew for this sort of thing,_ Will brooded, a small frown turning his lips down. He stopped to slide the plastic card attached to his communicator through the specific lock outside Room 68_. I'm a field worker, not an undertaker._

The same twinge of squeamishness and shameful cowardice of the task squeezed his stomach like it always did. God, to think he and Eris could have come to this. They may have been put in the very same room, body splattered or burnt or twisted, and someone else (maybe Heidi) would be disposing of the remains with the same feelings.

Taking a deep breath, Will pushed open the door and the smell instantly disoriented him. If he'd been able to consume food, it would be all a-puddle at his feet.

"A burner." Will gritted out the word with his lips moving over clenched teeth. With one hand on the wall for support and the other pressed to the side of his head, the ghostly nausea lifted enough to let the tall boy make his way to the blackened body on the table. Tufts of burnt hair and wires still clung to charred skin. The machines stood dark, white and silent against the wall, ready for the next lucky pair of souls to make them whirr to life again.

The muzzle was open in a silent scream, teeth black or melted, and the eyes, now opened windows where the souls had ripped themselves away, were radiantly blue and open. Even with nothing left in them, Will always got the distinct impression the corpses were still pleading for help against the pain. He sighed again and winced as a digit broke off from the paw he briefly touched.

"Could be worse, I guess." Will muttered sullenly, and softly, the blue glow from his hands ate away at the empty animal shell until nothing but black dust floated in the air. "Sometimes I wonder if being splinched is worse than surviving."

"What sort of nonsensical arrogance is that?"

Anger, swift and quick, pulled at the tension already strung between Will's shoulders. On the outside, he appeared to calmly close his eyes. On the inside…_ One day, I ask_, one day_ without her harping me!_

"Nothing you would care to understand." He said harshly, brushing himself clean, reluctant to turn around and face her.

"Nah, let's make a game of it," Heidi's smirk could be heard in her voice. "If I prove you wrong, I win. Vice versa if you're right."

Will's hand hurt from clenching in on itself. Roughly brushing past her, he broke into the fresh hallway. "I'd rather not make fun of life, thanks. Just because we're dead doesn't give us the right to mock."

"That's the problem with you," she caught up and fell into the brisk step beside him. "You're still attached to it."

"We work for the living, it's a little hard to be detached."

"Correction: we work for Koenma and Spirit World, we _serve_ the living. Or at least try to."

Will could see Heidi shaking her head in his peripheral vision, and none too humbly. "You'd at least be decent if you'd detach yourself."

"And be a cold hearted imitation of a real soul like you? Pass." He knew he'd struck a nerve with that one if the nervous tick her nose made was anything to go by.

"Screw you."

"Come off it," Will scowled at the exit. "You don't care what I think of you."

"Glad we agree on something." Walking back to the Soul Separation Unit headquarters was anything but comfortable. Still seeing red, Heidi's muttered thoughts came close to breaking Will's last grip on himself.

"I'll admit, you've got some useful tricks." The compliment, if that was what it could be called, was almost painfully given. To say that Will was surprised by it would be an understatement.

"When you're actually able to get your act together and ass in gear."

"What the HELL is your problem!" That last bit had just enough smugness and spite to it to add the last straw to the camels back. Will stopped just inside the spacious monitor room to fully rear on her.

"Problem?" Heidi looked over her shoulder, a smile barely on her lips. "I don't see a problem. Just giving you my assessment, not that you care what I think."

"You are UNBELIEVABLE." Will was about ready to tear his hair out. "One day! I wish for one day that you could see how you come off! God, it's like you were never even _in_ the living world."

Heidi's eyes flashed briefly, her mouth spoke a tight-lipped answer. "I _wasn't_. Don't ever cross that line, _boy_."

"I'm not about to trade sob stories with you." He blew her off, turning his back and stalking across the room to resume his previous position at the computer console and start the motions for shutting everything down for the rest hours. "Twenty years on earth," Will muttered, punching keys. "At least _something_ should have stuck."

"What did you say?" Heidi's voice was surprised and dangerously low. Her brows pinched together in mounting rage. The back of Will's hips slammed into the opposite switchboard as she spun him around by a hard grip on the shoulder. "_You son of a bitch!_ You went through my file!"

He shook her hand off and gave the seething girl a hard look in the face. "Like you never stole mine off Koenma's desk!"

"At least I never hacked into the Spirit World _mainframe_! IDIOT! You know how dangerous that is!"

"Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same to me if you could have!"

Heidi loosed a frustrated growl. "I _told_ Koenma you were nothing but a low life punk! Who the hell do you think you are just taking liberty like that?" She poked her finger in chest. "Nothing! You and that host! You and your beloved _Eris_; neither of you knew how easy everything came! That girl practically pissed on whatever was given to her!"

"No, _you're_ nothing! You have no idea who Eris is! No one knows her better than I do! _No one!"_ Will was livid, absolutely fury shaking his tensed limbs as he struggled to draw the last reserves and keep his voice normal. "I would never have chosen to stay with her if Eris had not grown into the person I knew she would. How dare _you_ have the gall to insult either of us! We're young, but damned if we didn't try hard to live a good life! _You_ didn't even try!"

"And how, pray tell," she spat. "Would you know, _William_?"

"Were you even conscious during those years? No, wait," Will made a rotating motion with his wrist. "Just being here for five minutes in your presence answers that question. You know what?" he stepped abruptly around her. "I actually pity you, _Heidi_. You have this fucked up view of everything and blame it on your host. That's unbelievably pathetic."

"Shut up!" Heidi screamed, voice ragged in fury. "Don't talk about what you don't know!"

"Why?" Will challenged, blue eyes electric and arms crossed over the back of the plastic chair he straddled. "Because it's easier to avoid facing what you feel you failed at? This snarky bitch mask you put on is bullshit to make everything easy for you. It's not me you're mad at, and you don't deserve to be righteously angry with me just because I had a caring host and easy split. FYI, _I_ didn't want to be split. And it wasn't easy. I did it so _she_ could live."

"You're wrong, _newbie_," she snarled, as if the name could insult him any further. "That's not it at all. You've been here for a week and a half (1), and you think you can prance around preaching at me?"

"Someone's got to! Thirty years." Will shrugged, lip curling slightly in a 'so what?' face. "That's how long you've been stuck without anyone to kick you in the ass and tell you you're wrong. I'm sitting here, talking to a spoiled brat."

She ignored the brat comment. "I am _not_ wrong—"

"_Yes_, you are! You're saving grace is that it's only half your fault. Your host was a doctor at an abortion clinic, to put it sweetly. So what? Your mother aborted you? Big deal!"

"Fuck you!" he felt a sorry tug seeing the shine on her eyes. If they'd been alive, really alive, tears would be forming in those eyes.

"Now you care about life," Will lifted his head in mini triumph. "When it's you being talked about. It doesn't matter millions of others suffer each day and die without so much as an 'Are you okay?' whispered in their ear."

"That's not true! It's not my fault humans torture each other to death—"

"How many have you worked with begged Koenma for a transfer to another division? You're doing the same thing in death Heidi!"

"YOU WEREN'T THERE!" Heidi stomped her foot like an angry child. "You never heard his thoughts through all those operations!" Her fists were clenched at her sides, face twisted in hate. "He didn't want to hurt those babies, and it was me that convinced him he didn't want to! When I learned to talk, he _changed_. But when Jacob finally got out of the clinic…"

"He didn't see the truck." Will said flatly, face devoid of anything, carefully neutral.

Heidi shook from all the suppressed emotions. "He didn't want to see it. I was asleep when it he walked out, but his last thought woke me. Sort of a startled shock that pinned him to the spot; he went 'Oh!' all surprised, like he'd just discovered the sky was blue instead of green. He didn't _bother_ to move."

Will nodded, biting the inside of his lip, knuckles white against the chair. He looked up as she continued.

"If life could be disregarded so easily, what was the point of it all? The world is so full of murder and abuse and hate and addictions and tragedies…it chokes you until your body is alive, but your mind is dead.

"I just never understood. I still don't. You think I'm cruel, and maybe I am, but you couldn't hear their screams." Heidi's arms were crossed, eyes almost crazy in their sockets as they stared at nothing and she chewed the nails of her left hand. "My mother destroyed me. Through my host I helped destroy others like me. What viewpoint on life am I supposed to have?"

Will did not have a chance to answer. The prince of the Spirit World came through the doors, blue robes and cloak billowing. His pace was broken with a minute half step as soon as he internally named the aura of the room. Coming to a complete stop between the two souls, wary like a referee between to blood-lusting hockey players, Koenma slid his slanted golden-brown eyes from one to the other.

He spoke hesitantly in a smooth voice, but the words did not betray his thoughts and he continued to act as if nothing was amiss between them.

"We have a problem."

* * *

Four days had gone by since the little phoenix had fallen asleep in the flames. Hiei still sported black burns from placing Genkai's seals and wards around her; a portion of the temple was also charred, curious scents of sapling trees and spicy peppers wafting from the blackened room. Hiei himself was acting strangely since binding Eris' inferno, refusing to speak about the ordeal. His bandages rarely needed changing, and always smelt not of burnt skin, but rich myrrh. It was certainly a mystery; nothing touched by her fire was as it should be.

The occupants of the temple were still stumped by what had transpired. One minute Eris had been joking, playing, and the next she was near fainting and spontaneously combusting. It had taken seemingly forever to calm Ducky and Alex down, such as it is a traumatic thing to see your best friend and family member catch fire. Their loyalty, however, was unrivaled. The room Eris resided in was constantly attended to; her favorite CD's were rotated through regularly, childhood storybooks read nightly before bedding down, Mr. Mumpy was propped up with her yellow cotton baby blanket, and they reminisced frequently in her presence.

There was no doubt she was alive, curled and burning in her corner. (For one thing, her body had yet to reduce to ashes.) They swore the silently flaming invalid had mood swings. The room would become warm sometimes, a warm that elicited a degree of coziness, twitchy annoyance, or raging ADD to the atmosphere. Sometimes at random moments and during the strangest or perhaps unique times, the slumbering phoenix peeped open an eye or two. It scared the whole of them, the pupiless dwarf-star white so different than the expressive grey-blue. But the wheels were turning in that waving, black-haired head, and that inspired excitement, a surge of anticipation. She would survive whatever this change was.

Indeed, it was most definitely a change, if nothing more than a physical one as far as they knew. Her skin wavered and moved like the flames licking her body. She was _made_ of the fire, searing white and blue with the hottest body heat, and then orange red, and everything in-between. Her lips were black, as if someone had colored them with soot. Charcoal eyelashes lay delicate and pronounced like fine pen strokes against fiery cheeks. Eris' wings were nothing short of magnificent in their blazing blood-red grandeur, tucked close to her body in a soft and powerful cocoon.

Kurama sat now, in that room, quietly wondering about the girl in the corner. Her white eyes were open, staring at the usual nothingness. In a few minutes or hours, (it was never known how long Eris would play the waking game), she would calmly close those hot eyes as if she'd never opened them. He wished she would snap out of this trance, or phase, or _whatever_ this was. Kurama missed her terribly; the days never seemed full of the bright colors she possessed in her fireful reverie without the constant banter, spurts of irritability, or stubborn arrogance. That, of course, was the first Eris he had come to know. Sixteen years old and five-foot-two wandering the halls and falling on floors after bumping into longhaired demon boys. She floated on well-projected self-confidence, but was secretly unsure about her actions and the right thing to do. Like Yusuke, Eris talked now and thought later. There was so much he found fascinating about her; the levels and layers and unexpected reactions and opinions and ideas and ideals and smiles and tears and laughter and yelling and punching and screaming…

How foolish he'd been. So unlike Kurama to take anything at face value, and yet he had. Was it still because he still thought of her as a human? Stupid, that! Humans were even more trouble than demons; Eris was no exception whatever form forced itself upon her. Eris was, and would always be, Eris.

Kurama sighed in the revelation, content and at peace somehow. "And me? What am I?" his voice was soft, barely above a whisper and quite mystic with his thoughts focused elsewhere and not on forming the words. Eris sat still and silent as ever, a slow, glowing blink like a light gone out and then rekindled was the Kitsune thief's only answer. His face broke into a euphoric smile; he wasn't sure why he felt so happy all the sudden, but a sigh of relieved and breathless laughter flowed past his lips.

"I am me. The same as you. A thief, a bandit king, a spirit, a fox, a kitsune, a demon, a human, a man, a teenager, a friend, a brother, and a son. I am all that, but none of it at all. I am, purely, Kurama."

From the spot where he stood, half blocking the sun washing through the east window, Kurama felt a thrumming warmth that was neither born from Eris (though she may have inspired it) nor the sun resting on his back.

_It's beautiful, this feeling…like rain on puddles when the sky is purple and depths-of-the-ocean blue…but silly enough, I know that's not right. It's changed._ Kurama closed his eyes in bliss, reveling in the waves of this oddity, an amused furrow between his red eyebrows and a delighted smirk playing his mouth. _Mm, millions of minute grains of sand falling on the once glassy pond surface: beautiful, peaceful, and gracefully destructive…like so many things I can't describe, or even hope to name. Am I dreaming this? Will I wake up to my mother's voice calling the human in me to breakfast, or maybe Hiei knocking on my window like a door?_

"Hey," a voice woke him from the dream with a jolt. Ivory eyelids lifted over opaline-jade eyes. "You alright?"

Kurama turned his head slightly, still smiling. "I must be going crazy." He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, flushing slightly at being caught at such an inopportune moment.

Ducky, lifting a blonde eyebrow at the fox smirked a little and shook his head. "Then it's a good thing I came to check on you." He patted Kurama's arm and prodded him encouragingly to the door. "Go on, take a break. This is supposed to be my shift anyway." Ducky waved a book in the shorter teen's face; the corners were battered and rounded into stubs, and the sheen on the cover was long gone.

With one last look to Eris, eyes now closed, Kurama nodded and went off to tidy his own room. He'd be returning to school soon, and would have to do some heavy cover up with a few administrators as to why he had not been seen on the holiday.

Ducky watched him leave, snorting to himself. _Life could not get any weirder._ The beanpole of a human sat under the window, crossing his long legs, and opened the book on his lap. _I'm reading to a demon vegetable, complete with her personal grill, who's supposed to be my best friend. Nope! Definitely could not get any weirder._

With a sigh, Ducky flipped to the first page and began to read aloud. "In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf…" He must have read the story a thousand times before in his own childhood alone, but the repetition struck a fond note of nostalgia. The boy didn't mind; soon he'd be able to recite it line for line, but the trio had always loved the bright colors and chunky art style. Not to mention the pop ups and multiple paneled pages there were to flip.

Halfway through the book, the window no longer provided enough light. Using his finger as a bookmark, Ducky reached up to use the sill to help him to his feet, both knees cracking. He turned his nose up at the noise, absently thinking he'd steal Alex's calcium pills. Osteoporosis or something might sneak up on him if he weren't careful!

"What's that you're reading?"

His stretching startled into a jumping halt, Ducky blinked and spun around a few times before spotting the other fire demon sitting on the very sill he had been reading under.

"The…Very Hungry Caterpillar…?" he answered uncertainly. _Geezus, how long has he been there?_

Not concerned by the edgy teen in the least ( which was a considerable turnabout that was both irritating and curious to Ducky since the sealing). Hiei sniffed not so disdainfully as he would have liked. A breeze pushed his overhanging bangs to tickle closed lids; the demon looked most relaxed. "Continue."

Ducky made sure he was well on the other side of the room; this was starting to vastly creep him out. With no other option, he sat, and with the book propped upright on his knees (peering over the edge of the book now and again), he began to finish the children's reader.

"Nice story." Hiei complemented (sort of) in a deadpan tone.

"It's better when you can look at the picture and play with the pages." Ducky shrugged, and blushed for some reason when the koorime slid a red gaze his way.

"Really." The single word sentence said a lot, but Ducky felt awkward, not having the means to decode it. Instead he averted his own eyes to Eris who was "awake."

_She would be laughing at me right now_, he thought, absently toying with the warped cardboard book in his hands and completely at a loss for words. Hiei would be gone when he looked up, he was sure. The short demon was as mysterious in his coming and goings as Eris was in her current entirety. And Hiei _talked_. Sometimes.

So when Ducky heard "Why do you and the loud girl keep reading that same book over and over again?" he was more than a little surprised and taken aback. The two of them hadn't swapped two words, let alone engaged in a conversation, since their brief exchange those four days ago. Of course, he'd learned enough by the others that when Hiei wanted to talk, you talked back or be damned to his silence.

"Because Eris loves this book," Ducky found himself saying. "It always brings things back from when we were kids."

"So it draws up memories?"

Ducky shrugged again with a light affirmative nod. "Yeah, sometimes."

He assumed their "talk" was over, judging by the unruffled silence, and fully intended to turn from the uncomfortable scrutiny and escape to the kitchen for Yukina's rice balls. Hiei surprised him a second time.

"Why are you trying so hard to make her what she is not anymore?"

"What?" Ducky had no idea what Hiei was saying. _Why?_ Why wouldn't he? The question's implications were not settling well. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Hiei draped his legs inside the room, hands and arms supporting his weight as he sat forward. Ducky thought he looked ready to pounce. "The Eris here is not the Eris you know from memories."

"Soo…you're wondering why we're molding her to be the 'memory' Eris?"

Hiei smirked, genuinely impressed. "You're not as much of as air head as you let on."

"Thanks. I guess." Ducky frowned, now increasingly uneasy. The room actually seemed smaller; claustrophobia had never been a problem, but faced with Hiei like this made him really want to get away as fast as possible. "Look, I don't know what you want to hear from me, but Eris _is_ the same. What makes you think she isn't?"

"Common sense." Hiei wasn't backing off. "The girl died, _don't_ flinch, and resurrected herself. Simple reincarnation. A reincarnation is never exactly as the previous life was."

Ducky's fists found purchase on either hip. He was not happy, and maybe it was his response to being cornered like an animal. "Who made you Mr. All-Knowing on phoenixes? And who says Eris didn't carry her former self over?"

"Who says she did?" Hiei countered.

"Do you have to be so goddamn pessimistic?" Ducky snapped, abruptly standing. "I believe Eris will come back!"

"Then you're really a fool I gave too much credit to."

He threw the book down. With a dull slap on the floor, it slid a few inches. "How would you like it if any of this had happened to your sister? What would you believe then, huh tough guy?"

The demon's demeanor instantly changed with a sharp twist. "I'd love nothing more." This wasn't true, not anymore, but it had the desired effect on the teen. It was fun to put Ducky on edge for once; Hiei wondered how far he could be pushed.

"You _asshole_!" Ducky was indescribably angry, going so far as to rush the koorime like a bouncer. He didn't get very far. His hands were met with a wall, or what felt like one anyway.

The teen stood, bare feet slipping from where he planted them on the floor, and both wrists caught in unbreakable grasps. He stood seething with hitched breath, and glaring for all he was worth into Hiei's eyes.

"It's like she's dead, but I can still see her! I know she's there! I know she can hear me! I want her back! I WANT MY FRIEND BACK!" Ducky's cries cracked in his throat. "I can't even touch her! Why would you wish something like that not only on Yukina, but yourself? _Why?_"

"Keep in mind," Hiei grunted, twisting Ducky's arm slightly (if the demon had known he'd be an outlet for suppressed rage he would have shoved the kid in Kuwabara's direction!). "I could snap your little arm easier than ripping wet paper."

Ducky tried wrenching away, only successful in earning a shooting pain to the shoulder. "Calling _me_ little," he ground out in an angry scoff. "I'm bigger than your leg!"

"Which doesn't say much for you!"

The heavier teen fell to his knees, still in the clutches of the demon, and at first, Hiei thought he was sobbing. A snort and escaped laugh proved _that_ wrong. He rolled his eyes and let go.

"You know you just insulted yourself too, right?" Ducky snickered loudly, hands fisted on his knees, head down and still shaking.

Grumbling, Hiei hopped from the window and hauled Ducky like a laughing rag doll to his feet. "What are you? Bipolar?"

Ducky shook his head, biting his lip in a white grin. "No, just a slave to my perverted mind."

Hiei took in the blotchy cheeks and stray drops of tears "Unbelievable."

"Shut up," Ducky tried rubbing the smile away. "I'm still pissed at you."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am. That was a horrible thing to say." He wiped his face and stooped to recover the discarded book. "I'm right. You'll see."

"Keep your hope then, human." Hiei reclined in the window again, arms locked behind his head.

Ducky let out another stray laugh, stopping inside the doorway. "Same time tomorrow then?" No response. That was a yes. "It's Harold and the Purple Crayon tomorrow."

"Hn."

In more disarray than he had been when entering, Ducky yawned a "'Night," and left, exhausted. Hiei on the other hand, noticed a lingering laughter-like feeling in the air. He peeped open an eye.

"And what are _you_ laughing at, runt?"

* * *

**AN:** YAY! One more chapter down! And might I say this is my favorite so far? All the love/hate was fun. Muse really helped me out on this one. I wuv my Muse, awww! Even though he can be a right bastard. A lot. Much love to Neko Tsuin too, who knows what I'm talking about. She is teh roxorz!1!one

**Footnotes:**

(1)"_You've been here for a week and a half, and you think you can prance around preaching at me?"_ – My concept of time was blown to bits and I have no idea what day they should be on. Eheh…guessing works. I'll bust out the Creative License on this.

**Review Replies:**

…can be found here: www. livejournal .com/ community / erratic petals /

Just take out the spaces, and put the underscore in between "erratic" and "petals". Should be up around Sunday or Monday. See ya there, kiddies!


	6. The World’s Most Dysfunctional Family

**AN:** Alright, I admit it. I SUCK ASS. But more later when you've done reading Chapter Six.

_The palm at the end of the mind,_

_Beyond the last thought, rises_

_In the bronze décor  
_

_A gold-feathered bird_

_Sings in the palm, without human meaning,_

_Without human feeling, a foreign song.  
_

_You know then that it is not the reason_

_That makes us happy or unhappy._

_The bird sings. Its feathers shine.  
_

_The palm stands on the edge of space._

_The wind moves slowly in the branches._

_The birds fire-fangled feathers dangle down._

—"Of Mere Being," Wallace Stevens

* * *

So she had a heartbeat. He shouldn't have known this according to the collective knowledge of the temple inhabitants. She was humming, light and fast, like those little birds always hanging about those strange birdfeeders of Yukina's. Hiei remove his fingers from her neck. The others thought he couldn't touch her. Technically, he couldn't. Eris' temperature was going down.

"Oh!" Ducky appeared, one hand on the half open door, and under a tray of foodstuffs. "Joining us for breakfast?"

A bounce of red hair and the door was fully opened to reveal a softly grinning fox. "To what do we owe the honor, Hiei?"

"Funny." Hiei found the joke less than humorous.

"Wait for meeee! Ack!" A loud thump and a curse was heard. "Damnit it, Yusuke!"

"Sorry, it was too easy—" Conk. "Ow, fuck! Keiko, come on!"

Such is our morning routine… 

Hiei saw no reason to leave, as he'd already been caught lurking in sight, and the residents were loathe letting him get away so easily. Plus, there was food. Fair enough incentive for him. Stubbornly, he took the space in 'his' window, ignoring the chatter of the others, and sliding glances at the 'awake' Eris in her corner between taking snatches of salted rice.

"It's a bit…cooler in here," Kurama voiced nonchalantly enough, but stared pointedly at the fire demon blocking the light in the window. "Don't you think so? Hiei? I'm sure you've noticed."

Hiei slowly pushed a chop stick-stabbed teriyaki beef square into his mouth, eyes regarding the redhead coolly. "It might be."

That garnered a reaction from the others. Several interested faces went back and forth between the fox and koorime, who had returned effortlessly back to their respective meals without notice.

Alex and Yusuke were the first to speak out. "What the hell was that about?" they looked at one another. "Jinx!"

Ducky and Keiko rolled their eyes. Yukina watched the two battle out their jinx war with keen amusement.

A throb of pain in Ducky's upper arm; he scowled at Alex and rubbed the offended appendage. "Forget it! Your fault you lost, and _don't hit me!"_

Alex growled with her mouth firmly shut, glaring at him and Yusuke. Ducky continued to ignore her until she settled with crossing her arms like a huffy child and pouted. Yusuke gloated, making the frowny lines on the girl's face deepen in a scowl.

Like the fates had decided the morning was too tame, an orange head with wide and slightly disbelieving eyes peeped into the room. Chatter died, heads turned to look back, food halfway to their mouths.

Yusuke raised a dark eyebrow. "Uh…hey Kuwabara…?"

"So it's true!" His eyes narrowed, skirting from face to face, and hovering on Eris with hesitation. Maybe she was able to burn his eyes out…couldn't be too careful! The demon girl certainly felt powerful enough to do it! Kuwabara shrank back until only his eyes were visible. "I didn't believe what Keiko when she told me at school. I-is it safe?"

"Nope." Ducky sipped some tea, cup cradled in both hands like he'd seen Genkai do, and eyes willing the brown liquid to cool. "She's a radioactive biohazard. Run while you're still free of contamination."

"Who the heck are you?" Kuwabara abandoned his fear (or more like forgot he was scared of something) and stepped into the room, hands fisted on the hips of his tall frame.

"Duckington Bunnell," he set the cup down, smacking his lips. That vegetable and beef stuff looked delicious… "You may call me Ducky."

Alex hit his arm, pointing to herself.

"And this," Ducky leveled her with an icy look. "Is my supposed _friend_." Alex flopped over in exasperation.

Yusuke laughed, moving forward to poke her with his foot. "Face it, girl, we like the silence. You're going to be like that for a looong time." Alex made a rude gesture towards him. He only smirked more. "Remember, I win if you talk!"

"So, these are the two you were yapping about?" Kuwabara addressed Keiko hesitantly, and inched in a little further.

"Hello, Kuwabara," Yukina smiled, brushing past him with another tray of food, instantly putting all his fears away in favor of his infatuation. "These are our new friends! They're Eris-chan's best friends from her home. You've missed so much while you were gone!"

Suddenly the big lug was sidling up against her, the ice demon's small hand dwarfed even further between his paws. "It's that damn school and their tests. I'll give it all up to be here with you more, just say the word, Yukina my love!"

"Whoa…"

"HEY you talked!" Yusuke pointed a gleefully accusing finger at Alex, who was quite affronted at the injustice of the world, and pointed to an amused Ducky.

"Yeah, that was me. Sorry."

"_Anyway_," Keiko dragged the conversation to more practical means (with great difficulty over Alex's loud gestures). "Has anyone seen Genkai-sama?"

"Yeah, where is the old bat?" Yusuke wondered out loud of the prestigious master. "Haven't seen her since the ritual banging on my door at 2 AM."

"Strange, she's usually the first to morning tea," Yukina rubbed her chin with one finger, successfully driving Kuwabara nuts from the overload of cuteness.

"Oh!" A thought kicked him in the head, momentarily distracting the wooing of Yukina mission. Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Don't strain yourself. I don't intend to be the one forced to pick the bits of your exploded skull from the rafters, assuming they're not as thick as assumed and can get up that high."

"Get off of me!" Kuwabara glared at Hiei's brand of an innocent grin. "There's some weird guy packing some unusual energy around the grounds. Yu guys know anything about it?"

They all looked at the orange-haired teen in surprise.

"…What?"

"I didn't think you knew what the word 'unusual' meant," Yusuke scratched his head in wonder.

"You know what? Screw you, Urameshi!"

"Seriously though," Ducky nibbled on the end of a chopstick. "You think that's where the old lady went?"

Hiei shifted in the window. "Koenma's here."

"Oh, don't get up on my account," the well-known voice of the prince floated into the room from outside. They could hear the pondering grin in his words, all but Hiei who had the view of him standing stiffly by the south side of the koi pond.

Yusuke was disturbed. "I didn't sense him until now. Usually you can tell a mile off at least…what's he hiding for?"

"Interesting," both Ducky and Hiei said at the same time. Another round of stares.

"I was just being prepared for a dramatic silence," the blonde grinned sheepishly.

Hiei scrutinized the prince, noticing the subtle shifting. "He's nervous about something. Possibly hiding whatever is making him anxious."

Alex sat quiet, seemingly staring at her indisposed cousin a few feet away. Blinking with a raised eyebrow, she patted Ducky on the shoulder and motioned over with her head towards Eris.

"Ducky's knitted brows raised a few notches. "Oh wow. _You_ thought of that?"

Alex hit him.

"Thought of what?" Kuwabara asked gruffly, not terribly amused by the whole ordeal. It all felt wrong, having the tendrils of his energy muffled. Koenma was just a dimly lit pulse in the back of his psyche.

"Alex says it's Eris, y'know, blocking everything. At least in theory," he added after a poke to his ribs. Alex nodded, and then jumped up with a gasp and furious laughter.

"AHAHA! You said my name!" She pointed at him with a triumphant manic grin. Ducky hit his forehead with the heel of his palm.

"I think Alex-chan may be right," Yukina worried her lower lip with her small fingers. "I wonder why that it?"

"Usually it's a protection measure." Kurama did not like this set up. What was Koenma up to? "Some demons I've encountered were able to scramble their energy output, much like suppressing it to fool your enemies into underestimating you. I believe she might be protecting us from something with a barrier…"

Wordlessly, the four fighter in the room made their exists, each going to stand warily in front of their boss outside. The koi pond bubbled and rippled happily behind the prince.

"Guys," Koenma smiled around the pacifier. "What's with the offensive?"

Yusuke crossed his arms, and as he shifted slightly with the motion of putting the weight on his right foot. Inexplicably, he jumped, startled, and blinked a few times. With puzzlement and nothing short of astonished anger, Yusuke turned fiery brown eyes on Koenma. "What the hell!"

It clicked in Kurama's head. "The edge of Eris' barrier…" The tall redhead moved forward to stand in front and off to the side of Yusuke's foot. Two red eyebrows met over steely green eyes. "No wonder you couldn't pass through."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kuwabara asked, as uneasy as the distrustful Hiei at his side who gripped the hilt of his starved sword.

"Come out!" Yusuke yelled in a growl.

In a sweep of stainless white robes and shining hair, an enemy thought to be defeated stepped into view, seemingly from nowhere. His skin gave off a disconcerting sheen of reflected light from the high sun. Unabashed by his past disgrace, Kenmei gave a neutral nod in the direction of the furious fighters. "I mean no harm with my presence," the handsome chameleon cloaked his body language perfectly. Even the twitch of his iridescent tail looked to be caused by a curious fly instead of anything internal.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kurama glared at Koenma in _that_ way, in _that_ voice. There would be one bloodthirsty Youko there in a minute, standing over a fallen demon across the way, if answers were not had.

"I asked him to come." Koenma was obviously strained under the hostility.

"That doesn't exactly put us at ease, you know," Yusuke did not back down from his 'this is shit about to hit the fan' stance. "It's not a well kept secret you're not above letting criminals run loose for your bidding…no offense Hiei and Kurama."

They both would have smirked, maybe shared a joke if the situation wasn't so disturbing.

The prince put his hands up in defense. "Hey! Give me a break, it's in everyone's best interest! I could totally ignore the whole thing since it means less than keeping the peace between worlds, but I figured I'd better fix this before it blew up. A team of sulky detectives is useless."

"Well, now don't we feel loved," Yusuke scoffed in dislike.

"Nice to know you're not thinking of yourself, Koenma," Kuwabara grumbled, not at all playing.

"What's the deal?" Ducky's head poked above the windowsill, brown eyes shifting from one to the other, stopping on Kenmei. "Whoa! Helloooo nurse! Who's _that_?"

"Get away from the window and shut up," Hiei shot over his shoulder, keeping his eyes alternating between the chameleon and Koenma. He didn't trust this state of affairs as far as he could understand it.

"Really now!" Koenma was no longer lightly amused. His men were really threatening him! "If you lunkheads would calm down and let someone else talk—"

"We tried that earlier, remember?" Yusuke had no intention of backing down. "You're pretty good at shooting yourself in the foot."

"I'm afraid Yusuke's right," Kurama stood in that earthy, unmoving way that could split a stampede down the middle. Alex thought it was a shame no one had a camera as she peeked out the window; all that beautiful hair blowing around that pretty and calmly storming face. Eris totally would have died, and Alex felt a little jealous.

"It isn't right that you should insult our intelligence and skills by self-serving manipulation," Kurama continued.

Koenma narrowed his eyes over his pacifier. "I don't appreciate being threatened, _especially_ when I'm helping that girlfriend of yours. Maybe I'll let you deal with The Burning on your own, then."

"Not so much a good idea."

The confusion was piqued as the short figure of Genkai ambled over, hands clasped behind her back and looking quite amused. …Or as amused as Genkai could look.

"You might want to stop fucking with each other and stop this mind game bullshit." The old woman turned her head suddenly, as if listening to someone speaking to her. Genkai smirked. "Thanks. When you get to be my age, stupidity seems to bleed away. At least in some people."

The four fighters looked at one another without moving their heads. "Who's she talking to?" Yusuke asked the burning question, in a sort of awed voice. "She's finally lost it." Finding a replacement was going to be a bitch.

The other, more spiritually tuned boys felt there was more than air on either side of he psychic master. Dubiously, they kept their guard up. Just in case.

Genkai looked at them all. "Idiots." She rolled her pink eyes. "Back to your duties then, otherwise the paranoid factor will have them running around for hours tearing up my temple again."

"All right, master Genkai?" Koenma asked, and sighed with relief when she nodded consent to something. "Heidi, Will, if you please…"

Kenmei had a really uncomfortable look on his face. There was a nervous twitch about him, almost a crazy mien. He kept looking out from the corners of his slated eyes to either side.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Kuwabara stomped his foot like a frustrated schoolgirl, really not liking the waves he was picking up. "Why are there two spirits acting like bodyguards around that scum?"

"Because they are bodyguards, for the moment at least," Koenma sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It would be rather unfortunate for you four to kill him, really. There's nothing to worry about, Heidi and Will are keeping him in line as well."

"Will…?" Shocked as he was, Kurama did not expect the rough hand of his best friend to grab him by the hair and yank sideways. The kitsune had no choice but to move that way with a muffled yelp of surprise and annoyed pain. "Something's coming this way," Hiei growled, feet planted and stance ready to slice through the in coming force.

"NO!" Kenmei yelled, eyes went wide and he struggled desperately against the other forces holding him in place. It was to no avail. The spirits could do nothing on earth of their own will, and Koenma was slow in the head to tell them to let the demon go.

Sure enough, another being was bounding towards the group at a blurring high-speed, black mop of hair flying, and was definitely not showing any sign of slowing down.

Neither was Hiei showing any signs of letting the thing get to them without a scratch. The beast howled, an eerie echoing sound, and grinned before leaping. Hiei raised his sword.

"NO! _That's my son!_" Kenmei cried, horror making his face flush red.

"Hiei stop!" Kurama grabbed the shorter demon's wrist—and was promptly knocked on his back. Not by Hiei as expected, but the—human boy?

"Brother!" Green eyes looked into familiar, smiling duplicated grey ones.

"…Hello Shinsa."

Shinsa giggled, backing off the kitsune to sit on his haunches and grin, oblivious to all the confusion and tension. Kurama sat up slowly, gingerly rubbing the back of his head.

"What's _that_ thing doing here?" Hiei asked, almost pouting as he sheathed his sword with a noisy click.

"Helping sister!" Shinsa smiled, scratching behind an ear with a foot. "Mother says sister is hibernating, whatever that means, and needs our help when she wakes up."

"I see your speech has improved." Kurama had to smile. The kid was too cute, really, and looked almost exactly like a copy of Eris. Some of her oddities had obviously transferred over as well, which made for an interesting scientific analysis the human part of Kurama _really_ wanted to conduct. Alas.

Shinsa helped the redhead to his feet, and Kurama was surprised to notice that the boy had grown quite a bit since their last encounter. The wolfboy had definitely picked up Eris' ability to read looks, and stretched his arms over his head.

"Shinsa's like a weed! That's what father says."

"A really talkative weed," Kuwabara muttered. Shinsa ignored him and walked fearlessly up to Hiei. He _sniffed_ him! Every person held their breath.

"Hmm…" Shinsa looked to be concentrating. Hiei looked like he had no idea what to do; he was stuck between the choice of pushing the kid away or lopping his head off.

"You smell like sister." Shinsa concluded bluntly and walked away to stand by his father (who shakily patted the boys hair and kissed his cheeks, much to Shinsa's dismay and embarrassment).

"That was…new." Yusuke blinked at Hiei, and then snorted, biting his lip to keep from laughing. The demon shot him a glare.

"Not. A. Word."

"Shiiiiiiiinsa!" A woman's call came faintly from the direction said boy had come from. "Shinsa! Darn it, where is that blasted boy…?"

"Shina!" Kenmei called to his wife, relieved to know she was fine without his son to aid her, and angry that he'd left her in the first place and endangered them both.

"Kenmei, darling, is that you?"

"Shinsa, go help your mother," he said sternly, giving a look to all present that said if they moved to hurt either of them he would not hesitate to take back his promise of not spilling a little blood himself. The chameleon might have been a scientist over a fighter, but instincts always won out in the end for a demon.

"What're _you_ looking it?" Yusuke sneered, crossing his arms in a huff. "I died saving a little kid once, y'know."

"And came back with less brains than you left," Genkai whacked him in the leg with a stick she'd been using as a cane as she passed. "If you numbskulls are finished out here…"

Yusuke glowered as he watched her go back inside. Something was still off color…Genkai was distracted. She surely would have gone for his head otherwise.

He looked to Koenma and Kenmei. "What's the deal, pacifier breath?"

"The _deal_, as you say my dear boy," the firm voice of the old woman Shina came from behind the group; Shinsa lead her by the hand to her husband. "Is that girl you've got inside that temple is not an ordinary girl—"

"Che. _Duh_, we knew that already," Kuwabara wasn't too fond of the old lady either. "She's a friggen demon. No offense, Hiei and Kurama."

"Nor is she an ordinary demon," Shina frowned. "Take care not to interrupt me, young man, my slaps are firmer than master Genkai's."

That earned a round of winces from Yusuke and Kuwabara. Hiei smirked a little. Anything that meant pain to Kuwabara was alright in his book.

"Eris, if you have not guessed by now, is a phoenix demon, a very rare type of demon even among the spirit breeds," she looked to Kurama who's eyes had lit up in a realization. "Yes, Kurama. I'm surprised at you for not spotting the problem sooner. A notorious learner, a _spirit fox_, such as yourself should have known better."

"Mother says sister is hibernating, whatever that means, and needs our help when she wakes up…"

Shinsa's words rang in Kurama's head. "I've been a fool…" The fox covered his mouth, thinking deeply.

"Grr…ENOUGH WITH THE SECRETS!" Yusuke, never the patient type, yelled. "Someone explain what the fuck is giving Kurama the 'oh shit' face!"

"Spirit demons go through a period of sleep during their adolescence," Kurama rattled off, distracted as other parts of his brain were busy elsewhere. "They sleep through puberty and awake almost full grown."

"Dang, wish I could have done that," Kuwabara scratched his head in a miffed way; demons had it so much easier. "Growing pains suck."

"Exactly," Shina smirked. "Demons are violent when growing into themselves. Spirit demons, however, are in such small numbers they were forced to evolve into a biological pattern that kept them from killing each other off during these years."

"How do you know so much about demons, _human_?" Hiei sniffed.

Shina gave him a withering look. "I married one."

"Someone remind me what this 'problem' crap is?" Yusuke wasn't happy with the half-assed answer.

"She's going to blow away half the temple when she wakes up. Possibly set the rest on fire, given that she's a fire elemental apparition…" Kurama was feeling slightly light headed. "Who knows what after that. We should have brought her to demon world. She could get into the city and kill people…"

"Come on, it can't be that bad," Kuwabara brushed off the severity of the situation. "What did you do when you woke up, Kurama? Grow some trees?"

Kurama laughed, though it wasn't one in humor. "Ha! Nothing quite so tame…"

"The population of that region never was the same," Koenma said innocently. "I believe there's a few flesh eating plants still growing, along with a very green, very dangerous forest."

Hiei looked surprised, and gawked a bit at Kurama. "I've heard rumors…it stretches over several miles…"

"Oook, so we do have a problem," Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck. Damnit, couldn't they ever get a nice, _quiet_, break?

"Not as big as it may seem," Shina said easily. "Phoenixes are different than kitsunes, after all. They can be tamed quite easily if one knows how to go about it."

"Lemme guess. That's your job."

Shina beamed at the short-tempered leader. "Precisely. I have excellent experience with phoenixes, and the fact we're both female makes me the perfect candidate."

"My family and I owe it to her," Kenmei said.

"Damn right you do," Yusuke left them all standing there to take a walk, arms folded behind his head as he looked at the sunny sky. "I'll leave it up to you guys to keep an eye on things."

"Figures he would up and leave," Koenma crossed his arms, frowning after the boy's back.

* * *

The tensions of the house were by no means getting any better. Exposure was to blame for making it at least tolerable; that's what they told themselves of course. Kenmei's presence grated on Kurama's nerves so much his jaw was beginning to hurt from grinding his teeth. The humans at the residence were quiet; their demon counterparts were already jumpy enough. Keiko wisely opted to take Puu and go back home at the end of the day, her usual scorning of Yusuke dulled to a concerned talk in the gardens and a goodnight peck. That, at least, had pulled Yusuke's spirit up a little.

After a spat during dinner, Ducky sat sulking in the kitchen, gorging himself on ice cream and pretending not to be concerned with the strange behavior surrounding the temple. Hiei, to everyone's relief, had escaped to the trees on an unnecessary ground check. As long as it had the temperamental fire demon away from starting any more fights, no one said anything against it.

The other American human was making use of the gardens as means of escape from the awkward silence. At least here there was more space to be able to tolerate it instead of being confined between four walls of a small room. Forget about the halls and corridors! Who knew who would pick that time to peek a head out?

"This fucking sucks…" Alex scuffed her foot through the grass, kicking a palm-sized stone into the ever-bubbling koi pond. A fern dipped in a breeze, a large frond patting her auburn head as if in sympathy. The girl grinned minutely at the passing thought; it just sucked to be in such a beautiful place with the most interesting sorts of people and not be able to enjoy it. The initial circumstances were bad enough…but those other demons or whatever were here to help, right? Hell, she was all for letting bygones be bygones if it meant having her little cousin back!

Why couldn't they just grin and bear the niceties, the selfish bastards?

"GaaaaAAHHH!" Alex yelled in frustration, gripping the hair at either side of her head and letting out another just for good measure. Everyone was acting so crazy!

"My thoughts exactly."

The poor girl nearly tripped over her feet she was so startled. "What the—Jesus, don't _do_ that!"

It was the Prince character from earlier, supposedly the one to blame for most of the mess. Eyes slightly narrowed, she tried to ignore her first instinct as to how good-looking he was, and crossed her arms.

"Ahh, you'll be about the tenth person to take that look with me today," Koenma grinned a bit around the light blue pacifier, inviting himself to take a seat on the dilapidated, two person stone bench an arm's length away from the shallow pool. "Alex Juliard, I presume?"

"Precisely." _Point for the short version_, Alex's eyebrow twitched up. The took a leisurely moment, Alex sizing the tall, teen-appearing man, and he merely making himself comfortable enough in her presence for the inevitable slew of words (between good and bad, he'd guess bad).

"Are you really a prince?" And there it was, though the question was unexpected and in a highly unusual questionnaire tone. Not quite a statement, the girl's voice rose just the slightest at the end. Grudging curiosity he supposed.

"Yes."

"Of what?"

Koenma unintentionally fixed her with a sticking stare. "Souls," he answered bluntly. "Or the passage thereof when you get right down to it."

Alex's head slipped to the side with a curious, and ah yes, _interested_, look. This was going to be an out of the ordinary chat, he could tell already. Well, better than dirty looks and scathing remarks of beatings and/or revenge from parties all around.

"Like…God?"

Koenma laughed, short and surprised. "Of course not! Call me a demigod if you must."

Giving a comfortable little grin, Alex uncrossed her arms, putting her hands instead on her hips in a take on all stance. "All right then. So what's with all the 'One True God' stuffs?"

Oh this was certainly becoming intriguing. "Do you believe in God?"

"Yes."

"Well then," Koenma smiled. "Shouldn't you be happy with that?"

Alex grazed her upper lip with her lower teeth, looking to the swaying, flowering branches in thought. "Mmm, I don't think He'd mind me seeking an answer or two from an obvious knowledgeable source," she cocked her head and grinned. "I'm human, and you're this supernatural being to me, this whole place is. I should be frothing at the mouth, huddled in a corner and thinking myself insane."

Dropping to the ground a few paces in front of the prince, Alex leaned back on her arms and looked up at him with an open expression. "So, Mr. Demigod," she crossed her ankles as an afterthought. "What's up?"

"Hmm, since I'm feeling loose around the tongue lately, and you've given me my first compliment in quite a few hours…" Koenma mused a second longer. "I will say that the whole worship thing doesn't do it for me. I could care less about a bunch of hymns being thrown at me half heartedly when I've got a job to do."

"In other words, you're the whipped dog in the corner."

"I'll pretend you said that with more elegance."

Surprisingly, the conversation went on pleasantly and comfortably enough. At one point Ducky stalked out of the kitchen, sucking on a spoon, and sat with his back against Alex's. Koenma raised a brow, but the girl waved it off and mouthed 'He's pouting.' And so they continued to talk, not quite idly, although random topics did spring up inevitably.

"I don't believe the whole thing about luck." Alex said, jumping off her previous topic. Behind her, Ducky nodded his agreement.

"We've certainly haven't had any. Elf most of all."

Alex's mouth turned down at the corners. "Yeah…she's a good kid though. I can't figure out how she manages to smile every day."

There was obviously something he was missing from this conversation, Koenma thought to himself. He'd skimmed through the girl's file a few times, and frustratingly couldn't call up anything now that was of use.

Though he didn't have to beat up his brain for long.

"What's the matter?" Alex asked, puzzled. Koenma had stood up suddenly and was looking towards the temple.

"…Uh oh."

* * *

Kurama was already banging on the door, a coldly frantic look in his eyes. The surrounding air was thick, heavy; even if it weren't for the heat, sheets of sweat began rolling down the faces of those who had gathered in front of Eris' door.

They hadn't expected this so soon…Alex was rethinking her statement on luck. But where was the old woman?

A shared look to Hiei and the door was longer an issue. It lay in splinters, some with acid green thorns buried deep into the wood. Bright orange flames glinted off the drawn blade of Hiei's sword. Angry looking white eyes glared at them from the midst of the fire. The fire itself seemed to part, unfurling wings massive in their breadth.

"Well that's…not something you see everyday." Koenma's mouth was agape. It was a terrifying sight.

"Shit…!" Hiei covered his ears, grimacing angrily. "What the _hell_ is that noise?"

"What are you talking about?" Alex demanded, huddling against Ducky who was frozen to the spot, eyes wide and scared. And then it could be heard—high, almost faint, and much like the whine of a muted TV just turned on in a silent room. There was a general deep wince among the present demons. Alex and Ducky were merely annoyed, until the bizarrely enraged phoenix _really_ let it loose.

"Stand away!" Shine pushed through the crowd around the devastated door, elbowing them back with curious strength.

"Wasn't planning on waltzing with her!" Yusuke snapped at her, hands over his ears, and let her choose her doom.

"Are you crazy?" Kuwabara grabbed the elder woman by the arm. "You'll be fried worse than rice!"

"Mother!" Shinsa whimpered, arms around his father's waist. Kenmei looked onto the whole fiasco grimly, pearly fingers combing through Shinsa's fine black hair.

"Not to worry, my darlings," she smiled, landing a kiss on each of their cheeks. "This is where I come in."

As the woman approached, Eris' high whining became louder, developing into a massively loud cry. It would have sounded beautiful at a lower decibel, and didn't bring to mind an image of a head exploding.

"You're quite the loud one, young lady," Shina wasn't daunted, smiling even. Eris was _not_ happy; her wings beat the air, sending the debris and ash around the room and making the fire grow ferociously larger. A large piece of the door caught Alex in the face, or at least would have if Koenma had not grabbed her about the waist and yanked her back.

"Uh…thanks…" the girl said, leaning on him in a daze. _My cousin just tried to kill me!_

"Not a problem." The prince was frowning as he watched Shine interact with Eris. "that's one angry demon…"

Eris stood tall and fierce, wings raised at threatening angles with tongues of fire dripping around her. The entire floor was charred black, an intense smell of burning wood and, oddly, a spicy scent of something else. It drew on Kurama, who recognized it as the girl's own unique smell. Anxiously, he stood back with Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara at a ready stance, not quite sure what they would do, but ready to do it nonetheless.

All of a sudden the tension of the room came to a head. Ducky was sure he'd never seen such pandemonium in his life, and had a hard time convincing himself he'd actually survived it afterwards. There was what he would have described simply as an explosion...with Shina and Eris as the eye of the storm.

For and old, supposedly sick woman, Shine looked to be full of energy and strength uncommon even for a youthful human.

Oh but it was awful…like watching the breaking of a horse, only quicker. And as soon as everything had begun, it stopped, leaving everyone wondering just what the hell had happened. Whatever it was had tired them both exhausted to ear passing out. Kenmei and Kurama rushed forward, Kurama just in time to catch the doused demon in his arms.

"Shina, love, what on earth _was_ that?" The chameleon asked his wife, bringing her into the safety of his own arms and wrapping the end of his tail protectively around her waist.

The woman coughed, wiping streaks of soot from her face and gave a raspy laugh with glittering eyes. "The poor dear is hungry is all."

"WHAT!" was the general reaction, not surprisingly.

"All that screaming and explosion crap, and you almost getting yourself killed all because she's _hungry_?" Ducky's eyes were nearly falling out of his head.

Shina leaned against her husband and gave a satisfied, yet tired, sigh. "That's about the gist of it, yes."

"Someone explain to me why I'm still surprised at the level of insanity here." Kuwabara rubbed the sides of his head.

Yukina came running towards the room, her little feet dirty and slapping against the wood floor. "What's—oh my goodness! Koenma, how could you!"

Koenma was openly puzzled. "Sorry, I missed the part where I was an evil bastard again."

"You woke her up," Shina explained. "By no fault of your own, really. Phoenixes are deeply attracted to sources of extreme power, thereby revealing why they live in flocks. Still, she wasn't quite ready, but there's nothing for it." She looked curiously at Yukina. "Though I do wonder how you knew to blame Mr. Koenma."

Yukina flushed a little (reducing Kuwabara to a fawning puddle on the floor). "Genkai-sama gave me a book a few months ago on strange demon types. Koorimes are isolated, and I wanted to know more about the rest of demon world."

Eris lifted her head up from Kurama's arm and opened the grey-blue eyes he'd missed so much. "Kurama?" her voice was scratchy from disuse (not to mention screaming), and very very groggy.

"Ladies, gentlemen, demons…" Yusuke said with a grin. "We have an Eris."

"Why am I naked?" Yes, her wings were no longer aflame, technically (but the magnificent red-oranges, and golds played with your head in the changing light), and the body of a little girl was no more. Which was…extremely obvious by the lack of clothing.

"Er…"

There was a quick shuffling of feet as the men turned around and made small talk, looking at the ceiling all the while.

"Ducky! Turn around!" Alex hit his arm. He gave her an incredulous look.

"Why? What do I care if she's naked? I'd be worrying about her lover boy over there."

"Ugh. You are such a perv, Ducky…" Eris scrunched up her sleepy face and rubbed her eyes, not so much concerned about her current state of undress. Yet. Not enough oxygen to the brain for that, or so they assumed by the enormous yawn.

"How the heck did you two get here?" she asked blearily, blinking. "The hell's going on?"

Breathing was suddenly hard as two sets of arms were around her neck, excited jabbering making her ears ring.

"AAAAH you _remember_!"Ducky squealed, jumping up and down and doing his best to suffocate her as Kurama and Alex laughed.

"You _bitch_!" Alex threatened, tweaking the other girl's ear rather hard, and almost in tears though they were happy. "You ever leave us again and do something so stupid again, I _will_ tell your mother!"

"Wouldja stop?" Eris said, exasperated. "I'm naked here! Little weird!"

"NO WAY!" they shouted, going on and on about how they'd missed her, squeezing the girl to near death.

"Alright, no need to kill her again," Kurama wasn't exactly doing his best to beat the off of her. "We might not get her back this time."

"What are you talking about?" Eris' head was starting to hurt, not to mention it felt like she'd gained sixty pounds on her back. "Damnit, would someone get me some clothes!"

She continued to grumble, feeling irritated, and there was this gnawing hunger in her gut like she hadn't eaten in forever. There was also an unexplained restlessness in this new body, making her twitchy. Kurama was the only one free of her mood, being that he was shielding her from total view as best he could and not be a perv about it.

"Do you remember anything at all?" he asked. Eris sighed, chewing on the inside of her lip, and watched with a hint of amusement as Yukina shuffled and shoved the crowd out of the room. Ducky and Alex smirked and volunteered to keep the less virtuous ones out and away from peeping in the door.

"Not much. I remember ripping a few chunks out of that maniac. Oh, and him shooting me." Eris thanked Yukina for bringing her a yukata, and leaned on Kurama as the koorime helped her dress ( no sense on being embarrassed, but the faint color in the redhead's cheeks made him awful cute). "He was aiming for you—where the _hell_ did these come from?"

"What?" Kurama was surprised, but not as much as Eris was by her sudden discovery of big bright wings popping out of her back while struggling with her yukata. "I…hadn't known that."

Eris nodded solemnly, bewildered eyes not taken off the extra appendages, and frowned, as he had to rip the back out of the robe to fit them. "There's bits and pieces before that. My head is a bigger jigsaw puzzle than I think right now, am I right?" She ran her fingers over the glossy feathers, marveling at the peculiar colors, and winced as she tried moving the wings. "I should be freaking out more about these things, but I can't manage the appropriate level of uber surprise. I think I've had these for awhile…"

Kurama nodded, becoming bold, and put his hand on the skin between them. The muscles were tight. "Yes. You haven't been… here completely in a sense."

"They're heavy. And hurt like hell."

"To be expected." Shine whirled back into the room, a tray piled with food in her hands, and an amiable smile on her face. She grinned even more and laughed when Eris seized the tray from her and plopped down to eat on the dirty floor. "My, you certainly burned a lot of energy. Literally."

_And you seem to have recovered quickly_, Kurama thought, a corner of his mouth twitching as Shina took the tray back from a protesting Eris and lead her into a better, non-destroyed room.

Eris tilted her head, eyeing Shina closely, and talking between unfaltering stuffs of rice and chicken into her mouth. "I remember you. The lady in the glass box with the phoenix farm, right?"

The old woman stiffened slightly, but nodded her head in affirmation. "Yes, that's right."

"Well I gues that explains why you're here," Eris waved a hand over her shoulder in a motion to her wings that were currently splayed out over the floor.

"You'll get used to them. When chicks graduate from the isolatory pubic stage, it takes time for the new fledglings' muscles to regain their strength."

Eris snorted, finding the talk way weird, especially since it was about her. _I _really_ must have missed a lot._

"Whatever you say," she realized the chicken bone she was gnawing on wasn't exactly normal behavior—or was it? "Can I…? I mean, I'm not like a dog, am I? Will I choke to death or something?"

"Go ahead," Shina's eyes glittered with amusement. "The marrow will do you good."

The she-demon crunched down on the bone and snapped it in half like it was a twig. "What happened to that shiny guy? Pearly skin, long hair, cool tail, real pretty?"

"Kenmei, my husband. He's here as well, under the…protection of the fine gentlemen here, and a few other spectral guests."

Eris smiled at Kurama, which truthfully unnerved him. However not as much as hers words, "Kenmei! That's it. I like him. He's nice. Have you talked with him, Kurama? I thought you would like him too."

Taken aback, the kitsune had no idea what to think. "Eris, he's the one who—"

"Shina." Genkai's gravelly tone broke him off. The shorter old master stood in the doorway, hands clasped as usual behind her back. "Join me for an evening tea." There wasn't room for argument, as was the woman's way. She was gone after a quick look to Kurama and Eris.

"Well, I suppose I have an appointment to keep with Master Genkai." Shina got to her feet with creaky bones. "I'll teach you some exorcises to strengthen your back tomorrow, Eris-chan."

The girl nodded and pushed the empty tray away, still hungry, but tired as well. "I have the feeling you're going to kick my ass."

Shina laughed melodically, saying her goodnights to everyone as she exited.

A soon as the woman left, Kurama turned abruptly to Eris who was busy burrowing under the covers of the sleeping mat that Yukina had so graciously prepared for her. "Eris—"

"Kurama," she yawned, and groaned as she painfully rolled off her back and onto her stomach, trying to get the blankets over her troublesome wings with little success. "Don't worry so much." Eris settled for the stupid things being the blanket for her top half. Might as well put them to use if they were going to give her so much other trouble.

The room was quiet, the last rays of the sun dying. A sharp smell of scorched wood and spicy cinnamon permeated the air; her new scent. Her demon scent. As beautiful and otherworldly as she appeared now, Kurama wished more than anything he had never upset her life.

"You look terrible with that frown on your face." Her voice was even changed, oiled and sultry. He tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it.

Eris kicked the blanket off, wobbly legs taking her to stand in front of him. "You get a line," her finger traced it along his brow, displacing hair as fiery as her wings. "Right here."

"You shouldn't drag your wings on the floor," he remarked, catching her hand in his. "The droopy look doesn't suit you."

"The hell with my wings," Eris scowled, watching their hands twine. "I know you're worried. Truth is…as soon as I wake up tomorrow, the full force of this thing is going to hit me and I'll be a worthless pile of human—well, _demon_ shit. Oooh God…." Eris moaned piteously, face scrunched as her head fell onto his shoulder. "I'm a friggen demon!"

"A most wondrous demon, if it makes you feel any better," Kurama gave a small, crooked smile, running his fingers over and through her hair. "Unique, and the only one worth all the trouble that's been caused."

That didn't help her despair all that much. "Kurama, I'm sacred…" That tore his heart right out, and yet it was difficult to embrace her the way he wanted too (besides the things coming out of her back thing).

"What am I going to do? I can't go home like this…" A terrifying thought ran through her mind, making her cling tighter. "Can I _ever_ go home?"

"Yes," Kurama reassured her quietly, the skin of his lips ghosting over her temple and forehead. "We're working on a solution, I promise. I brought you into this, I will find a way to get you out."

"Is that what you think?" Eris raised her head, looking at him with wide eyes that positively glowed in the dark. "That it's _your_ fault? Kurama, no!" Her fingers fisted into the front of his shirt, and then in her alarm moved to either side of his pretty face, bringing him in. "I knew what I was getting in to, to some extent _at least_. You forget, I know all of you. Every detail of your lives, and what you've been through. All of it before you even knew my name."

He sighed, still not convinced; it wasn't logical. This whole mess was one big cloud of confusion with Eris in the middle. Goddess of Discord, indeed. She could set off another Trojan war if she wanted to, he believed.

"Yes but—" Kurama was hardly able to get a word in edgewise tonight, although he couldn't say he didn't enjoy her methods. Her lips on his effectively shut him up, putting his mind into a whirlwind better than any mind game a foe could throw at him.

"Please trust me?" she whispered, and he could feel her breath.

"I wasn't there for you the first time," Kurama thumbed her cheek, and the look in his eyes inspired a lump in her throat. "I can't stand by and be idle."

Eris opened her mouth to protest, but this time it was he who cut her off. "But if it jeopardizes you, I will not interfere until you call me."

In the dark he saw her smile, felt it under his fingers. "I'm glad we're here," she said.

* * *

**AN:** Yeah I am an asshole. I am a _horrible_ person. I totally did not see a six month block, but y'know that's just how those things work I guess. Fuckers blind side ya. Anyway, I'M SORRY! No excuses because those will just take up more time between me posting the actual chapter. But summary: lotsa crap happened, nothing bad, fairly good, Neffy's going to college next year, and needs to write for money. WOO.

So I'll see you in Chapter Seven! And thanks to all the lovelies who kept reviewing and re-reading the stories. You rock like none other.


	7. I've Got a Feeling

"_We set out to change the world and ended up…just changing ourselves."_

—Curt Wild/Ewan McGregor, _Velvet Goldmine_

* * *

Alex sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're worse than Ducky with melodramatics."

Eris glared at her, little red electricity-like bursts snapping around her, reflective of annoyance. "I already died once, and unlike Yusuke I don't have a guaranteed back into the living world." Huffing, she pushed the black hair out of her eyes, cursing the wind that could make her fall or fly. "The splattered-on-the-ground look isn't so pretty either!"

Four days after Eris awoke as a full phoenix demon, Shina had made it Ducky and Alex's responsibility to oversee the girl teach herself how to fly.

"If she gets injured, she'll revert to pure instinct and tear anything she doesn't recognize apart," the old woman had _smiled_ as she said this, as if talking about the beautiful weather they'd been having. "It's best you two are there; she trusts and knows you best."

Needless to say, they'd found it less than heart-warming and honorable. Eris may love her best friends, but they weren't so keen on the idea.

"If you chomp my hand off and I bleed to death, I'm getting Koenma to let me come back as a ghost and haunt your ass." Alex was obviously getting friendly with the Spirit World prince. It was a good investment. With all the crap Shina was putting Eris through to 'act like a proper phoenix,' she was ready to snap anyone's neck.

"What is with old ladies and their joy in torture?" Eris huffed, peeking over the edge of the overhanging cliff she was standing on. Snippets of her fledgling days had been attacking her the past few days. Eris described it as a constant déjà vu.

Now at the top of the cliff, she was particularly adamant and whiny. "I can't believe you're going along with this! I can't _fly!_ Are you all insane?"

Ducky rolled his eyes. He and Alex gave identical heaving sighs and crossing their arms. "You have _wings_, moron! Use them!" Alex shouted up at her from below the cliff.

"They're there for _something_, obviously!" Ducky was beginning to get irritated. "They're fucking huge. I'm sure they work just as well as a parachute."

"I hate heights…" Eris growled to herself.

"Come on you big chicken!"

"_Chicken?"_ The demon cocked a hip out to the side and set a hand with attitude on it. "Excuse me, but I am a phoenix 'kay thanks."

The two humans smirked at one another.

"Nah, I think they got the species wrong, what do you think Ducky?"

"I think yer right, Alex. We've got a big ole chicken demon on our hands. They can't fly y'know."

"I'm related to a chicken demon. Wonderful."

"Hey Elf! You think you'll lay eggs? That would be pretty sweet."

"We'll have to change her nickname."

"Ooo! Ooo! I know! CHICKEN LITTLE!"

"ALRIGHT that's IT!" It was one thing to rip on her cowardice, but a double whammy to touch on her height. Eris was pissed. So pissed, in fact, she leaped right off the cliff lip. "You're both DEAD!"

"…Demons are obviously a lot touchier than humans…"

"And a lot faster," Alex pushed the dazed Ducky and fled the pursuing demon. "RUN YOU IDIOT!"

"I'll show you _'chicken'_!"

It was a splendid sight really, when you weren't fleeing in terror. Eris' wings _were_ huge—and beautiful beating against the air. Strong and powerful, they made their own brisk breeze that made tree branches tremble and leaves swirl.

"We're sorry!" Ducky yelled, shrieking as he looked over his shoulder. Eris was gaining on them. The back of his neck was getting hot, and not from the sun; her anger was singing everything. Loose feathers were even bursting into flame!

"Christ, we were _kidding!"_ Alex darted past her friend, pulling him as she went, and ran towards the koi pond behind the temple.

"That won't save you!"

They were almost in reach, her fingers so close—! But she hadn't counted on anyone from the temple being outside. Suddenly, Eris found she could no longer go forward. Literal whiplash socked the wind right out of her, and into the pond she went, an enormous splash blowing out her fire.

"Kuraaaammaa!" Eris whined, pouting with a lily pad on her head, and a green vine wrapped around her ankles.

The red-haired demon was shaking his hand and wincing a little. "Rope burn…"

"Serves you right!" Her wings were sopping wet. "Help me up, jerk. These things retain water like-whoa."

Kurama stooped down to cool his hands in the pond. "You're a strong, independent female."

Eris' mouth dropped. "Kurama!" A wave of water came at him. She chucked a fish at him for good measure.

"Helloooo…!" A muffled voice came from a shaking bush nearby. "Is psycho lady demon on her leash now?"

Eris glared at the vine around her leg. "Yes. You can come out now, if you're done making fun of me."

"Hey!" Alex came storming out of the bush, twigs in her hair, and stood at the edge of the water. "It worked didn't it? And you almost fucking killed me for helping you!"

"Obviously my temper comes from your side of the family and I have the delight of having it magnified. Rule #1! Don't do anything that might piss off the demon!"

"I'm not walking on eggshells around you, if that's what you mean." Ducky appeared, spitting dirt out of his mouth. His t-shirt front was brown with it.

"You won't have to," Kurama cut in before things got out of hand again. "Eris has to learn how to control herself. Which means—"

"Oh no…" Eris plopped back on her rear with a splash and a slightly scared look on her face. "No no no! As much as I think Genkai is the coolest old person ever—"

"You have to. There's no negotiations, and the fact that you're being adamant about it will work against you."

"She doesn't look like one to take a lot of shit," Alex looked smug.

"Who's giving shit!" Eris threw up her hands in exasperation, and crawled out of the pond.

"Where are you going?" Ducky asked as she passed.

"To dry off. That alright with you?"

Ducky blinked, slightly hurt. "Good luck finding a towel in the woods."

Eris did not respond. Alex shook her head, watching her cousin disappear among the trees. "I'll hate to see her when she's PMSing…"

* * *

It felt good, being high up; the view over the immense stretch of land that was Genkai's forest made the head spin. As the land dipped, it looked like a wave of rolling green that became turbulent in a wind. A burst of birds through the branches and released into the sky were breaks and splashes, settling back into the surf after a few moments of recollection and the find of a strong tree with good perching.

Eris was a tsunami. Her size and ferocity of breaking through the canopy scared a wave of other birds to flutter for miles. The dispersal of air from the massive flaps of her wings stirred more disturbance to the trees below. Though her demon energy no longer crackled, the life around was wary and watchful.

What was she to do? Things were blowing up everywhere, no matter how she tried controlling them. Maybe she should have listened to Alex in the first place and just stayed home. A yearning pang went through her at that thought, though not for home. Eris wouldn't have been able to leave Kurama, and she couldn't now. They were…tied somehow. There was a thick bond connecting them, and she had no idea how it had formed so quickly, or why.

Sighing, the girl dropped down into the cover of the leaves to hide from the harsh sun. As marvelous as flying was, it took a large amount of energy and muscle use she did not posses yet. Eris disliked that she could not rouse up any excitement for the fact that she knew how to fly. It felt like she'd been doing it for her whole life. Were new born birds like this also, after the mother pushed them from the nest to their impending doom? Maybe she'd just been through to much doom to be attuned to anything but fear and uncertainty. She wrinkled her nose, feeling a large branch bend under her feet as she squatted into a perching position. How sad, that she should come to a cynical look on life…with a small, wry grin, she thought of Hiei. That must be his influence.

Still, as Eris looked about, her raptor-like vision picking up small movements and twitches of the smallest creatures from unbelievable distances, she found she wanted her old outlook back. When she could find something to smile about in everything. Had this transformation changed her so much? Was it really the physical change, or what the people who had surrounded her in infancy molded her into? There were happy, nice demons around, like sweet Yukina, so it wasn't the demon thing. Sigh. Why did life, in any form, have to be so complicated and confusing? Why was growing up so hard?

The wind picked up, giving Eris a face and mouthful of hair. Spitting it out in disgust, her irritability at the elements mocking her, Eris almost missed a very different sort of change happening around her. A shift, of something, not large or small, but of imperceptible size like it had none at all. Throwing the black mass back over her shoulder, the winged girl sat very still, listening, feeling.

A swirling of something different than energy, more like…being? Some sort of state of being? What sense did that make? But that's what her senses told her it was, and it felt very, very familiar. Like an old friend who had been gone was now back, filling up an empty space.

She gasped, and nearly fell out of the tree. "…You!" And it _answered_! Not in words or feeling, but in _mind_. Like those little nudges, and déjà vu, and other curious ways they'd communicated. Eris just knew what he was saying.

"Oh God, Will!" Grey-blue eyes were wide and watery as she moaned and felt like crying. "I missed you! Everything's different!" A scary thought hit her then. "Was I only me because you made me how I was? Could I only be happy because you whispered in my ear?"

She'd never been this sensitive of that presence which had haunted her those many years, but those strange things that happened around her that couldn't be explained, the sudden sense of calm of a flare of anger (or quite the opposite), or the habit of talking out loud to some other thing when she'd been the only person in the room. Oh of course she knew he was there, something had to be! And there were times, when Eris, Ducky, and Alex were their happiest together, she'd feel that smile. The same smile of the little boy who had saved her life. That was how she knew.

The spirit's reply was an infinitely long one. Eris watched the flickering patterns of light through the leaves turn dusky orange as the sun passed through the sky. It was music playing to her soul, calming, and soothing the wrinkles that caused her so much grief. With her back to the trunk, Eris relaxed more and more, slowly feeling a semblance of herself return as Will spoke to her. Funny, how only the otherworldly could make Eris feel normal when she herself was now otherwordly and out of sorts. But Will was a comfort now; the piece she'd lost had returned, if only for a moment.

But things were not as they seemed anymore. Ha! As if they ever were. There was always something out there, a problem to be seen and overcome. Well. It was good she was living with a team of people familiar with that sort of thing.

Eris, faced set in stony seriousness, fluidly maneuvered on the branch back into a crouch, eyes looking below, her ears tuned to footsteps and a soft voice calling out to her. A flash of indignance and anger appeared for a second before being wiped clean like a slate in a blink.

"I knew it. That wasn't a dream. Ooh…yes, I remember. All too well…" A pink tongue swiped over her lips, and pointed teeth caught her bottom lip. "I'm fantastic at holding a grudge, right?" Eris' lip curled, and she laughed through her nose and throat. "We don't like it when people pretend to be nice, do we?"

The mien of danger suddenly dissipated around her, and the birds started chirping again. Eris sat up, hands on her hips, and talked over her shoulder. "Which is why I don't understand why this Hiedi girl pisses you off so much. She cuts the crap out and tells it straight. You've been around Alex for how long, I don't see a problem."

She snorted, grinning behind the hand that came up to hide it. "Bullshit! Ghosts, or…whatever you are, can have crushes too. I think two you like each other. It's like grade school, you beat up the person you fancy—"

"Eriiiis!"

Her attention was grabbed by the melodic voice of a familiar woman. She chewed the skin on the inside of her mouth, thinking.

"It is rude to not answer someone's call."

"GYAH!" Startled violently, Eris nearly fell out of the tree. "Christ! What the hell are you doing here?" She glared over her shoulder at Hiei.

He reclined comfortably in Hiei fashion, a foot or two below her own branch in the opposite tree. "Christ? No, I don't think so. Your foolish human belief systems are just that: foolish. But if I was, I wouldn't be happy with a greeting like that."

Eris rolled her eyes to heaven, asking for patience. "Good thing you're not. We'd all be fucked." The woman's voice came again, but the girl made little movement towards going down to meet her. Hiei peeped open a red eye, looking at her feathered back with veiled interest.

"I think I should be insulted that you would let yourself be startled into a near fall."

"I was distracted, alright?" Eris snootily answered, annoyed that he was breaking her concentration. "Lay off."

"Attitude won't get me off your back." He closed his eye, scowling. "Kill me if I ever reproduce."

"You'd probably eat your babies and take care of the problem yourself."

"To think I did such a vile thing as change your diaper."

"Eww!"

"My sentiments exactly. I'm having trouble deciding which is more foul, that or your pissy mood swings."

Eris turned on the branch, on hand on the wood and the other her hip. "Did you want something?"

"Perish the thought. As if I'd sink so low as seek thanks for all that I and the rest have done for you."

"Of course. That would be too human a thing to do. Kurama sent you after me then?"

A tiny change in Hiei's energy surprised Eris. There was a subtle twitch to his mouth that confirmed the thought. Eris' eyes widened marginally. "Oh wow, you actually just came to talk, didn't you?"

Hiei moved one leg to rest over the other, but otherwise did not move or change his nonchalant mien. "Hn."

Eris sat her bottom down and began swinging her legs, leaning forward a bit. "I'm impressed."

"Don't be."

"Right, right." She smiled a bit, slitting her eyes and scrutinizing Hiei closely. He shifted, feeling it.

"What?" He snapped, one eye glaring up at her.

"Now who's got the attitude?" Her voice was irritatingly smug.

That may have been a sneer she received from the viewpoint of anyone else, but she knew it was a grin he was trying to hide. Eris opened her mouth to further comment, but the voice interrupted again as it traveled along it's route back to the temple.

"Damnit! What does she _want?_"

"Your soul. A few feathers for a quill maybe. You're worth quite a lot, you know."

Eris' mouth set in a grim line as she looked down on the black-haired head looking about and calling for her. "Mm. So what else is new?" The sudden absence of Will, who'd been quite silent in Hiei's presence, made her blink and pout. "Hey!"

"That pet spirit of yours seems to agree."

That made Eris frown set deeper. "Yeah, well he's a good source of information. I know you feel something's up as well." She looked at him seriously before leaping off the branch. "Keep an eye out!"

Hiei sighed, re-situating himself, and grumbled. Really, were the eye jokes necessary?

* * *

Eris let herself drop to the forest floor, wings cocooned tightly about her body to shield from the leaves and branches. It made a lot of noise, but it was faster than climbing down, and she was too tired to fly. Mid-call of her name, Eris landed in a crouch in front of the woman, wings neatly tucked behind her.

"Yes?" she asked a little testily.

Shina smiled at her. "There you are!"

"And so I am," Eris folded her arms. "I assume there was something you were calling me for?"

"My! What a testy thing you've become today!" the old woman laughed lightly, as if the demon girl didn't look capable of burning her to an ashy pile on the forest floor. "Come, you have lessons to learn yet, and the temple is in a tizzy worrying about you."

Eris sighed, relenting, and dropped her arms. All right, so she did feel guilty for making them worry, not to mention being a grade A bitch. Her attitude wasn't anyone's fault but her own. "Lead the way."

Shina gave an affectionate pinch to her cheek. "That's what I'm here for. Shinsa! Where is that boy?"

Eris put a thumb and forefinger to her mouth, and with a sharp exhale, emitted a loud, calling whistle. Moments later, a crashing through the brush could be heard coming upon them not far off. Soon, the bouncing form of Shinsa halted next to the two women.

"Hello, Shina, sister," he smiled, black hair mussed with twigs and coming loose from it's tie at his neck. There were smudges of dirt on his cheeks, but the happy glow in his yellow eyes was enough to make it adorable on him.

"Hey kid," Eris grinned, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. She still found it creepy that she now had a twin brother, but it was _so_ hard not to like him. He was always happy, and lit the place up like a burst of light wherever he went. Apparently being human was great when you weren't originally born as one. Pulling a leaf from behind his ear, Eris rose a brow as a thought hit her. Maybe she could—ha—take a leaf out of Shinsa's book.

"Bathtime for you when we get back, dear." Shina turned, leading the two teens back to the temple, as if either of them really weren't able to do it themselves.

If Shinsa still had wolfy ears, they would have drooped, but somehow he pulled the look off anyway, which absolutely made Eris' lower lip stick out in a wibble at how cute it was.

"I hate baths."

"Don't we all?" Eris laughed and put an arm around her—what was she going to call him? Friend? Doppleganger? Brother? _Son?_ He was made out of her DNA after all. Or at least part. Hmmm… "Have a nice run?"

Shinsa nodded, instantly perking back up and smiling at her with white teeth. "Uh huh! I saw you flying earlier. You learned fast. Will you take me sometime? I always wished I was a bird."

Eris looked at him with surprise. "Well…" Oh how could she say no to that face? Geez, no wonder Kurama always smiled a little more when he looked at her. Oh weird, was she admiring herself? Geez, this was so confusing!

"Yeah, sure, why not?" She tweaked his ponytail. "Maybe when I get stronger and I can lift us both."

"Kay!" The boy laid his head on her shoulder and nuzzled her a bit. Eris relaxed with his comfortable weight bumping against her side as they walked. Yes, brother would be a wonderful title…

* * *

"Aaand where have _you_ been?"

"Burning down buildings and generally wreaking havoc over the countryside." Will ignored Heidi's glare, and everything else about her as he made a round of the room, checking security. He really hated playing the warden. Kenmei really wasn't such a bad guy if you looked past the laboratory torture of animals and whatnot.

"You were hanging around the girl, weren't you?" There was a smirk in her voice. Sigh. The second bickering match of the day was about to begin, he was sure.

"Maybe I was. What's it to you?"

"That's a breach of our duty, and you know it. We're only here to keep an eye on the lizard. Koenma's going to—"

Will turned around, crossing his arms and leaned against a dense patch of air. "What? What's he going to do, _kill_ me? Deny my passing on? I have immunity, in case you've forgotten."

"How could I? You gloat about it every chance you get," she sneered, and mimicked his posture. "You could have jeopardized what we're trying to do here. The Prince is going to flip when he finds out."

"_If_ he finds out," Will pointed a threatening finger at her. _Geezus_ did she test his nerves. Or his memory of nerves. Another bad thing about being a free-floating soul was that something could still annoy the piss out of you, figuratively speaking of course. "I know this is hard for you to comprehend, but she needed me. This isn't easy for her."

"Oh boo-hoo. I'm drowning in tears. No really."

"You don't even know what it's like to cry," he shot back, silently gliding across the room to check the adjoining one.

"Fuck you!"

"That's the third time you've said that to me today. Try using eternity with a better purpose in mind, like improving your insults. Or develop some social skills that don't suck quite so badly." Will disappeared through the wall, narrowly avoiding Heidi's angry whiplash of manipulated space. That was one of her nastier tricks. It took him hours to detangle himself from it last time. Good for catching rogues, however.

Will squeezed back through the wall, a hint of worry about him. "Besides perfecting your emo-istic attitude to it's pinnacle of 'poor me, I don't know what it's like to suck air,' what have _you_ been doing all morning? Kenmei's not anywhere around here."

Heidi sneered at him, tongue hanging out in a not so charming way. How the _hell_ could Eris even think they even remotely liked each other?

"I can't hold him by myself. It takes both of us to keep him bound to any one place, remember?" She crossed her arms, regarding him unpleasantly as if it were his fault, which for once it may be was. "You disappeared, what the hell was I supposed to do? Yell for Koenma when he's probably only snuggling up to his wife or something? Nuh uh. He'd fry my ass."

Will sighed in exasperation, hitting his forehead. "I can't believe this. Fine. We'll track him down, it won't be that hard."

Heidi rolled her eyes and made for the ceiling where once above the temple they could get a single reading on the whole estate and find Kenmei quickly. "Whatever. Warn me next time you find a fancy to play deserter so I don't get completely screwed over."

"Shut up! Eris needed me. Unless you _want_ her to set fire to the entire forest and bring about a whole new set of problems?"

"Yeah, yeah. You saved the day, blah blah." Heidi rolled her eyes again, taking a second for her essence to resituate itself after moving through so many corporal layers of the building. She thanked Koenma that she hadn't been made a ghost. It was difficult enough as a free-floating soul to move through things; TV and movies always made things looks easier than they were.

"What do you want me to say? Good job? Fat chance. You still could have fucked things up either way. Now give me your hand before I tangle it to a koi."

_Such a nice girl._ Sighing, Will let the argument go for now, and linked hands with Heidi. Focusing together, they scanned Genkai's temple in a rush of images, sounds, and energy patterns for the one they were looking for.

"Left wing garden," Will intoned with a flat voice before breaking the link and heading off that way. "He's playing catch with Shinsa."

"I saw. Yukina's around there too, and your girl isn't far off with the wife. Good, he's at least behaving himself then."

The bad thing about being in a place crawling with people sensitive to otherworldly things was that they knew exactly where you were, or at least had a pretty good idea you were in the vicinity. It made being sneaky hard, and their job harder.

The fine hairs on the back of Kenmei's light skin shivered as the two souls neared him. A frown turned his pink lips down, but his annoyance was otherwise well hidden as he continued throwing a stick for Shinsa to snatch out of the air. The way his adopted son looked so joyful and happy set him better at ease. Shinsa could always put him back to rights.

"Yes?" Kenmei's tone was clipped, having less patience for his invisible wardens. "I'm not being an evil mastermind at the moment, you can relax."

"That's not what we're worried about, and you know it." Will crossed his arms, though no one could see him do it besides Heidi, who wasn't looking all too pleased and planned on making sure the chameleon knew it.

"Apparently you don't value your family as much as you like everyone to believe." She sneered a grin as the shiny demon's scales fluctuated in a rainbow of colors, a sign of his anger at her words. "We have a deal, or don't you remember? Pull another stunt and you'll be sorry."

A controlled stream of air left his lungs as Kenmei counted backwards from ten to calm himself. He broke a branch off a nearby tree with one hand, ripped off small twigs and leaves, and hurled it into the air for Shinsa to go after. "You're a very nasty young lady."

"Thanks. Nice to know the effort is pulling off." Heidi looked quite pleased with herself. Will rolled his eyes.

"Okay, so we have wolf boy and his master. Now where's the wife and angsty bird woman?"

Both Will and Kenmei glared at her for that one, though Kenmei's was more in her general direction. She laughed.

"They are meditating by the stream. Disturbing them would not be the wisest choice, and I may not tolerate this harassment much longer."

"You and me both, man," Will agreed.

Heidi blew their threats off. "Please. Like either of you could do anything about it."

Will's eyes narrowed as he grinned faintly. "Oh I don't know, I might forget my duty again and go running off to frolic in the woods somewhere with the angsty bird woman."

Now Kenmei may appear the loving husband and father and all around sensitive nice guy, but he _was_ a demon and capable of some very nasty things. Many of which he really wanted to do to the misfit female soul lately. His eyes flashed in the sun and a sneer of sharp, pointy teeth made his deep chuckling quite frightening.

"And _I_ may do more than simply run off, little girl." A vague threat on the surface, but the man's demeanor spoke volumes. No one was quite sure what Kenmei's breaking point was, and he sure was playing off that rather well. No one wanted to take a chance with him.

Heidi had the rare grace to back down, but not without a roll of the eyes and a 'whatever' thrown in his direction before settling on a nearby rock to glare at everyone in the immediate area. It was her way of pouting.

"Kenmei-san, are you alright?" Yukina's sweet voice drifted to them from the back steps of the temple, birdseed dripping from her fingers. She looked wary, but her nature was too good to not enquire politely after the demon.

The pearly again chameleon gave a short bow of the head towards her. Will noticed the grin on his face and tried not to snort. Obviously he wasn't the only one who got a kick out of getting the best of his reluctant partner.

"HEY! You little rugrat, get back here!"

They both turned towards the shouting to see Shinsa bolting across the garden, giggling madly, and soon followed by a flying Eris. Shina came running after them.

Kenmei went to intercept his wife. "What's all this?"

Shina looked harassed and gave a huffy sigh. "Your son thought it fun to interrupt us by pulling Eris' feathers!"

The demon was trying very hard not to look amused. She saw it and poked him stiffly in the chest. "Oh shut up, you!"

"Can't catch me!" Shinsa giggled, ducking behind a peony bush. Sure enough, a bright red, six-inch feather was clutched tightly in his hand, and he waved it above his head to tease her.

"Oh you just wait!" Eris banked to the left, smirking to herself. She wasn't upset, well not anymore, since the pain hadn't been that bad. The kid had actually saved her from Shina's boring meditation crap. Wasn't meditation supposed to revitalize you? Huh. She always felt more tired afterwards.

But now, Eris was in playful predator mode, and dive-bombed her twin. Shinsa shrieked, abandoning the bush in a flurry of leaves and flowers, but was too slow this time. His sister got her arms about his chest and lifted him a good four inches off the ground, both of them laughing.

Shina, however, did not think it so funny.

"_Put_ him down, this instant! You're going to hurt him!" The woman chased after them again, waving her arms. Kenmei looked after them with a wide grin.

"You're not going to do anything?" Will asked.

"Nah. You learn things being married to a human female. Number one: do not come until called in times of hysteria."

Will's brows went up. "Riiight…"

Eris scoffed at the woman running after them. "Oh come on mama bear. He's stronger than I am! Ain't that right kid?"

"Higher!"

"Ugh…speaking of being stronger… Fire Bomber to Black Trickster, ready for landing, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, rodger dodger Fire Bomber!"

"What—where on earth did you learn such language? Do not DROP him!"

"TV of course," Eris was having more fun than should be legal; sending the sickeningly sweet woman over the edge was too good to pass up. "He's a boob-tube head. Don't worry, he's only up to eight hours a day, but then you put in the horribly violent video games—getting ready to drop!"

"NOT IN THE ROSES!"

With his wolfy flexibility, Shinsa just barely avoided the impending doom of thorns. He bounced right back up with a slight brush of his pants, and waved to his mother, a big smile on his face.

Shina fainted.

Luckily Kenmei had seen that coming, and caught her just in time. He shot the two a snappish look, but his lips were pressed together to avoid a grin. "What have we discussed about pulling dangerous stunts like that in front of your mother, Shinsa?"

Shinsa shuffled his feet, looking very much like a puppy who knows he's been naughty and hopes the cute factor will win the master over. "Wait until she takes her medicine?"

Kenmei half-rolled vibrantly amused eyes, and shifted his wife into his arms. "Close enough. Come along then, we'll put her to bed."

Eris stood with crossed arms and a hip jutted out to the side as she watched her brother loyally follow the gentle-natured demon. Kenmei definitely reminded her of Kurama in some ways. Though the tension between the two was hard to miss…and she wondered why. It was a shame, really. Kenmei was still a mystery, but there was just something about him that made her instantly know he was the one to go to if something ever went horribly wrong. Like a father figure of sorts. Judging by the way Shinsa was fairing so far in his new way of being, Kenmei was excellent in that area. Adopting someone so unique as Shinsa so easily was an extraordinary thing in itself.

And he was one hell of a husband. Of a mortal woman no less. The chameleon was racking up points left and right in her book. So what the hell was everyone else's problem?

Heidi smirked, nudging Will sharply with the toe of her foot. He turned from his position inside the doorway to the temple to glare at her. "What is it? You're holding me up." The look never boded too well, and served to dampen his spirit. "In case you hadn't noticed, our charges have moved on."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not sensory retarded, thank you. Check out big bird over there."

Despite his urge to retort against the jab at Eris, he glanced to where the winged demon stood, looking at them, or rather the door, in thought. Against his hopes, Heidi was indeed not sensory retarded. The emissions from Eris' thought patterns was not good, in simple terms. Of course they couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking, but guessing was easy by adding emotions and snatches of extra things the brain gave off that only those on other planes could pick up.

"She could compromise us if things got heavy," Heidi was grinning again. If Eris did indeed get in the way of them doing their jobs, she would have to be removed. That of course would tickle Heidi pink. She had no doubt Will would go with her, and that meant no more partner work.

Will told himself that 'removed' could mean anything. He scowled at Heidi and dragged her by the arm into the temple. "Don't get your hopes up."

Internally, Will hoped that Eris would keep in mind their meeting. If things came to a head, a lot of choices were going to have to be made. He wasn't so sure who would have the strength to pick the right one.

* * *

**AN:** Goodness, how long has it been this time? My deepest apologies, really! Life is demanding, and if you don't put it first it'll kick you in the ass. I would like to thank all you lovely darlings that have continued to review in the off months! I always am tickled pink when I see a review notice in my inbox.

Hopefully this chapter is to your liking, and Muse won't be so slow during summer. HEY! Guess what! Nefus is graduating on the fourth! How weird is that? I started this story when I was a sophomore. Oy…I'm getting old…


	8. No Seriously, I Have a Feeling

**Melanie:** What if he never leaves? What if he becomes a permanent fixture?

**Brian:** What if my aunt had balls? She'd be my uncle.

—_Queer as Folk_

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* * *

_

"Wow…it's really coming down out there…" Alex stood with her nose pressed against the glass. "I hate rain…"

A silent streak of purple lightening lit up the dismal colored late afternoon. The short-haired girl wrinkled her nose, and jumped as a loud clap of thunder voiced its opinion right back at her.

Ducky felt inclined to agree, laughing at his best friend. "I happen to like it just fine. Storms too. What's better excitement than sitting around in candlelight when the power goes out?"

Alex rolled her eyes, turning her back to the window and hefting herself up onto the sill. "When your parents are out, you've got the house to yourself, and your boyfriend is over."

"The curly-haired boy smirked from his seat on the couch. "Oooh honey, been there. You've got a point."

Shinsa padded into the living room then and slumped next to Ducky, chin dropping on the skinny youth's shoulder. Ducky turned his head awkwardly to look down at him. The delicate face, or delicate for a boy at least (not the he was complaining), was moping largely with his lower lip stuck out.

"Aw, sugar," Ducky rubbed the little nose for a second or two with his index finger. "What's the matter?"

"Rain," he answered simply, heaving a dramatic sigh.

"See!" Alex flicked Ducky's shoulder as she passed to go into the kitchen. "I'm not the only one."

More thunder had Shinsa startled and clinging to the blonde's arm for comfort. Ducky giggled behind his hand, but covered it with an unconvincing cough.

"Poor thing. It's just thunder. No need to worry," he scratched Shinsa's hair. "Where's El—Eris? I'd think she'd be the one you'd be clinging to. Or your…parents." Ducky found it odd calling those strange people the kids' mom and dad, seeing as Shina was the only born and bred human in the bunch.

"Sister is sleeping." He seemed to have calmed under the scratching. "It's Shina's medicine taking time. Kenmei is meditating."

"Your English is getting really good," Ducky remarked, raising a brow.

Shinsa smiled at him and sat up, drawing his legs under him on the couch. "I learn best from Sister. Kenmei and Shina talk too…uh…" His face scrunched in absence of words. Ducky's lip was nearly trembling at how cute he was, scratching his head and trying to think like that.

"Lofty?" He tried to help. "Big?"

"Yeah," Shinsa shrugged, wrinkling his nose. "I can't understand a lot."

"Well, as dubious—sorry, 'not sure'—as I am about Elf teaching you how to talk," an unfeminine snort came from the direction of the kitchen; Ducky grinned, trying not to laugh, "—You're doing very well."

"Thank you!" Shinsa beamed, then came down a few notches, and looked slightly serious. It was a little weird. "Why do you call Sister 'Elf'?"

Ducky did laugh then. "Because she's short, like a Christmas elf. We're having a bit of trouble coming up with a new nickname since she switched the mythical creature resemblance on us."

"What's a Christmas elf?"

"Oh boy," Ducky let out a whoosh of air past his lips, now the one having difficulty finding words. "Ask your mother."

Shinsa pouted. "You sound like Kenmei."

"Speak of the devil…" Alex's voice came floating in before they saw her body in the door. "Come have a look at this."

"Hey! Kenmei is nice, not a devil." Shinsa followed anyway, scampering after the girl, Ducky following.

"I think she meant Shina," Ducky corrected, peering out the kitchen window as Alex pulled the curtain back. "…What in the world?"

"Why is mom walking out in the rain?" Shinsa's voice was equally as puzzled, his head cocked to the side, and looking like a confused puppy.

"That's what I would like to know," Alex frowned and crossed her arms. "Anyone feel like a romp through the rain?"

Ducky smirked. "Sounds like fun. Shinsa?"

He looked unsure for a record two seconds before the claustrophobia decided for him. Not to mention it was a chance to spy on a parent and catch them doing something naughty for once, and what kid could resist that?

"Sure!" He was the first one to the door, practically bouncing for the mischief.

Alex pushed him out the door, shaking her head with a snerk. "I feel like we should put you on a leash."

Shinsa stuck his tongue out at her. "Kenmei keeps threatening me with one."

That had Ducky laughing as they trotted through the waterlogged lawn to place where they'd seen Shina disappear through the sheets of rain and trees. "Aww! You poor mutt."

"Hey!" Shinsa stuck his nose into the air and took the lead in front of them, almost prancing. "I am _not_ a mutt, and never was."

Alex and Ducky exchanged amused looks with one another. "Yessir, your hybridness, sir!"

Shinsa smirked over his shoulder. "That's better. This way!"

"Wow, definitely can believe he's got more than a bit of Elf in him," Ducky said towards Alex, and picked up his speed so as not to lose Shinsa as the wolfish boy turned past some bushes.

"Tell me about it. Or at least heavily influenced. Shit, it's really coming down," Alex was starting to get tired already. "Where the hell…?"

They found Shinsa looking up and down a narrow stream. Shina was nowhere to be found. Or at least not in body.

"There's footprints in the mud," Shinsa pointed along the sloppy bank.

Alex squatted down, squinting past the water dripping into her eyes. They were small, and she'd guess female. "I may be bias, but giving that she was running around here, I'd say they're Shina's."

"But there aren't any coming back…" Ducky put his hands on his hips.

The three stood around, shaking water from their hair and eyes, all thinking hard. It didn't make sense. Unless…

A disconcerting thought entered Shinsa's head. "What if…what if she…" He looked frantically at the rushing stream. "She's in there!"

"What!" Alex shook her head. "No way, why would she jump?"

But Shinsa would have none of it. "She did! She's drowning! We have to help!"

He made to jump in after her, but thank goodness the other two had fast enough reflexes to grab onto him. Keeping him back was another matter.

"It's not even deep enough!" Alex shouted over Shinsa's crying and the rain. The sky began to rumble, making the boy even more hysterical.

"It only takes an inch," Ducky grunted as Shinsa elbowed him in the ribs, hard. He almost fell over and into the stream himself.

"DUCKY that is _not_ helpful!" Alex growled at him. "Damnit, Shinsa knock it off!"

They all slipped in the mud and spent the next five minutes wrestling in it. Ducky finally managed to pin Shinsa on his back by half laying on him and holding his shoulders down. Ducky was surprisingly strong, but could barely keep the wolf boy down.

"Get his legs!" He called to Alex, trying to keep his face out of reach of Shinsa's hands.

"I'm trying! He already kicked me twice!" Alex growled, when she saw a white blur from the corner of her eye. She wasn't quick enough to avoid being thrown off by the force, but was lucky by only sliding in the mud and having a relatively soft landing.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SON!" She heard a familiar voice roar. Alex lifted her head in time to see a fearsome Kenmei bearing down on Ducky. She saw the blonde try to move off of the now stilled boy and talk to Kenmei. There wasn't a chance. The chameleon forcefully knocked her terrified friend away, sending him directly into the path of a large oak. He crumpled at its base, unmoving.

"NO!" Alex screamed, and scrambled to her feet, slipping in the mud once, twice. It was hard to say if it was the rain or panicked tears blurring her vision.

"Not very smart," a different, but still familiar voice. "Attacking the girl's friends like that."

Alex made out the smaller form of Hiei, the quiet guy who popped up whenever he felt like it. Shinsa had gotten off the ground and hid behind his father, peeking around him at the small demon, who had his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword. Kenmei, it seemed, was frozen in place by something, but she couldn't tell what. Whatever it may have been, the demon was not happy to be caught by it, and by the veins popping from his neck, was struggling to fight free.

"They were assaulting my son!"

"He was trying to jump in the fucking stream!" Alex screamed angrily at him, deeming it safe enough to let him have a piece of her mind. She rushed as fast as she could to Ducky, who had not so much as twitched. Turning him over, she noticed his arm hanging oddly. Alex bit into her lip, and did her best to clean his face free of mud.

"Mamma's drowning!" Shinsa moaned and buried his face in Kenmei's back. "Her footprints go to the stream but not back!"

"Stupid kid," Hiei sneered. "She's at the temple."

_What?_ Alex thought in confusion, _She can't have made it back already…_

Shinsa seemed placated by the simple answer, however. "Kenmei, I wanna go home!"

"Good idea," Hiei rolled his eyes and spoke to neither Kenmei nor Shinsa, but…something over their shoulders. "Take the sniveling kid and papa back with you. And try serving your fucking purpose in the future."

Alex shouldn't have been surprised by anything extraordinary by now, but the sight of her attacker and Shinsa hovering into the air and moving off speedily had her reeling.

"Next time let him drown himself."

Hiei's words towards her snapped Alex back to the current unpleasant reality. "Hey!" She called at his retreating back. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"I already did."

"He could have internal bleeding! I can't carry him back by myself!"

"I am not a pack animal."

Like a raging storm herself, Alex left Ducky momentarily to bear down on the black-clothed demon. "You're going to carry him back to the temple like a jackass if I tell you to, or else I'll have Eris throw YOU against a tree!" Oh she was pissed. Not to mention scared to death about what sort of ailments Ducky could have.

Hiei narrowed his red eyes at her, fingering his katana. If he used it on the girl, Eris probably _would_ try to attack him in some form. She definitely would if he blatantly abandoned the unconscious one. He thought back to the encounter and conversation he and Ducky had had the other day… Biting the inside of his cheek, Hiei grumbled to himself, plowing past the girl and to examine her friend.

"His shoulder is dislocated," he said, kneeling, and as he put a hand just above his shoulder, Ducky woke up with a yelp of pain. "Hold him down," Hiei sniped at Alex, who surprisingly obeyed without complaint.

"Wha—let go of me, Alex…why're you—" His half conscious babbling morphed into a ragged scream as Hiei popped his shoulder back into the socket. He passed out again.

"That was easy enough."

"Shut up and get him out of here," Alex glared at him.

"I'm not carrying _you_ as well!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Ducky is three times your size by himself. I'm not stupid. I can get back fine on my own. Just hurry up!"

With a sniff, he arranged Ducky on his back and sprinted off, gladly leaving the girl to find her own way back. With Hiei's speed the journey took all of ten seconds, and just as he set foot on the temple wood and stones, there was movement on his back. Ducky was shivering, trying to cling to Hiei's warm back. As an after thought, the spiky-haired one raised his body temperature, and felt a puff of breath on his neck.

"Yukina!" he called out to his sister, knowing her as the best candidate to take care of him. She liked doing that sort of thing, didn't she? "Yukina!"

They almost ran into each other; just as Hiei located her with his Jagan to be making tea for herself, the ice demon came around the corner, stirring a little spoon in her teacup.

"Hiei! My goodness—!" She dropped her tea at the sight of the muddy boy her brother carried.

"Yukina." The fire demon said her name again, irritation roughing the edges. He was starting to sound like Kuwabara.

It seemed to work, shaking her out of shock and into action. "Follow me."

She led him to one of the open rooms; luckily it was dressed for company. Hiei set his cargo on the bed. Ducky moaned, and hissed in pain as Yukina made him sit up on the edge of the bed and tried to get him to raise his arms.

"Rip his shirt off," she ordered her brother.

He looked at her like she was insane. "What?"

He wasn't going to touch a human! More than he had to. And damnit, he'd had more than his fill already.

She shot him a look, tinged with amusement, but was completely serious. "I sense broken ribs," Yukina gently guided his left arm down, and caught the boy as he swayed dangerously. "And the injured shoulder you so gently fixed."

"It would have been more painful your way!" Hiei said irritably, and uncrossed his arms. With his sword, the front of Ducky's t-shirt was easily shredded. Yukina peeled the dirty, wet fabric off his body. His face contorted, and for a delirious human, had quick enough reflexes to grab Yukina's hand as she pressed against the discolored skin on his side.

"No! Stop!" He pleaded. "It hurts…!"

"I know it does," she soothed him with her voice, and formed ice in her hand. "Can you hold this here for me? Hiei, help him."

"I'm not—" She actually _glared_ at him! Hard to argue with that. He held the makeshift icepack, his hand over Ducky's trembling one. "He's going to pass out again."

"Keep him awake! I don't know if he has a concussion or not. Those ribs need immediate attention before anything else." The urgent tone in her voice left no room for argument either as she began to leave the room in a hurry. "I need to fetch a few things.

"Hn…" Hiei's lips were turned down in a deep frown. Being around humans he could tolerate without much problem, but touching them was whole other issue. Unless it was fighting, but this one already had the shit kicked out of him.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Ducky's head bobbing as he began nodding off again. "Hey," he jostled the lanky teen. "Wake up."

Ducky grunted, grimacing at all the kinds of unpleasantness caused by the little movement. "Sorry…" At least he was becoming more coherent. "'M tired…everything hurts."

"Well it should."

He snorted, and then regretted it with another grunt. "Fuck…you'd think I be used to this."

Hiei raised a brow, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "What?" Surely this one wasn't a fighter? _Then again, the way he came after me the other day…_

"People like me aren't strangers to having the snot beat out of them. Only the scenery's different from a playground this time."

"People like you?" Hiei didn't understand. Humans were humans to him. Then again they always had the pettiest reasons to screw with one another.

"Gay," Ducky was the irritated one now; then again, he had rights to be more than that. "Homosexual. Come on, you knew that. And anyway, I know it's not exactly hard to miss."

"Humans." Hiei said in disgust.

Ducky raised his head quickly to glare at him. "Well you can just go fuck yourself if you don't like it! I've already been through one bashing, I don't need a verbal one from you!"

He tried moving away with no success. "Stop it," Hiei pulled him back, Yukina's wrath in mind. "Anything that keeps the human population at a minimum has me practically giddy."

Ducky was still glaring at him a little, but stopped struggling. It hurt anyway. He looked away, feeling a little awkward but peeked up at him again. "You really don't care?"

Hiei obviously thought it was a ridiculous question. "No. Demons are less concerned with breeding. It's a non-issue."

"Really…why?"

Hiei looked bored. "We live longer. It's also a foolish thing to be offended by. Openly disapproving of another's mate can get you killed."

"Hmm…" Ducky seemed to be turning this over in his mind. "So why are you holding me at arm's length then?"

"I'm allergic to human flesh."

He laughed, and again regretted it, but there was still a grin left over the hitching breath this time. "You're so…ungh…full of shit." Ducky moved his hand out from under Hiei's, made it into a fist, and then released, and then did it again. "My hand's gone numb."

Ducky grinned, but Hiei could see him shivering and the purple tinge around his lips. His hair was still wet, and he was sitting in wet pants. Well no wonder the fool was cold.

"You're freezing."

Ducky snorted. "You're holding a piece of melting ice on me. Yeah. I'm a little nippy."

"Hold still." He didn't need Yukina blaming him for the kid getting a cold. Hiei put his other hand around the blonde's neck and let loose some heat. The arteries there would carry the warm blood faster.

Ducky sighed, his shoulders starting to relax. His eyes even drooped a little. Hiei pinched him to keep him alert. "If you fall into a coma, they can't yell at me for not doing anything."

"Except for strangling the patient." Yukina finally came back, a bowl of water in her arms, and pockets filled with medicinal herbs and wraps. "You can work on heating the water now, Hiei. Ducky I need you to take everything else off while I fix these herbs."

"Easier said than done," he gritted between his teeth while trying to move around enough to get his pants off.

Hiei merely glared at the water for a second before it was boiling. "Speak for yourself." Yukina reprimanded him for making it too hot.

"My back feels stiff," Ducky rubbed his neck with his good arm, pants only halfway down as he opted for using his feet and legs to get them off. "And like someone took a cheese grater to it."

With a furrowed brow, Yukina temporarily abandoned her medicine mixing and went to examine Ducky's back. Her hand came up as she gasped. "Oh my…I'm going to need more bandages…"

Wondering, Hiei moved to see what had her in a flurry of action now. If you could see through the purple bruise blooming across his back, Ducky had numerous cuts smeared with a mixture of blood, mud, and dirt. The tree bark certainly hadn't been kind.

"Just missed the head," Hiei muttered, following with his eyes how the bruise crossed diagonally to the shoulder and not up the neck. "You're damn lucky."

Both demons suddenly looked towards the half closed door; Hiei rolled his eyes while Yukina busied herself with dipping a white cloth into the hot water and making Ducky sit sideways so she could clean it.

"Oh dear, oh dear," she murmured, looking back at the door as her ears twitched. "You'd think they'd have decency with an injured around…"

"What are you two so irritated about?" Ducky asked, puzzled. "Ow! Ow ow ow…"

"Sorry," Yukina huffed a sigh. "Oh, they're all becoming hysterical about what happened. They should put their energy towards worrying about you, not that chameleon."

"How did you know—?"

"Well I didn't," she tossed the now soiled rag aside and wetted a new one. "But they're loud enough to wake the dead, how could I not hear?"

"I don't—ow—hear anything."

"You're not demon." Hiei was, of course, sitting in the window and being superior.

"I'm not so sure it's so great. No offense." There was a steady bit of hostile shouting coming closer. "I can hear them now."

What sounded like Eris, Alex, Koenma and Shina trying to out-shout each other finally came to the door; through the four-inch gap, they looked like a pack of fighting wolves. It all came to a curious halt as someone slid the door all the way open and they saw the bruise and cuts on Ducky's back. It was like a big purple beacon that drew your eye right to it.

"Ohhhh," Eris was covering her mouth and looking ready to cry. "I'm so sorry Ducky…"

Alex was full out glaring at Shina who was ignoring her by offering her help to Yukina.

"As an old woman, I have an extensive knowledge of cures for aches and pains. It's the least I could do."

"That's quite alright," Yukina was firmly focused on applying a salve to Ducky's back; someone not familiar with her would have passed off the tight lips as concentration rather than the displeasure it surely was. "I've gotten everything under control while you all were out arguing."

"We'll continue this tomorrow," Koenma said grimly, frowning around his pacifier. Shina's eyes flickered over her shoulder to the prince. Clutching her hands in front of her, she made to leave as well.

"This old woman should get herself to bed," she gave a fleeting half smile.

Alex sniffed, arms crossed and still glaring. Her lip was near curling. "She left quickly enough. 'Oh! Let me help! I'm such a wonderful medicine woman! Nevermind my husband just tried to kill your friends!' Che."

"Alex!" Eris snapped at her, grey eyes fierce over her shoulder as she stepped past the threshold and into the room. "That's enough!"

"Fine! Fine," Alex was tense with anger, and before Yukina could get out the words, picked up the dirty rags and Ducky's clothes with a huff. "Don't believe what I saw. Those people are dangerous Eris! There's something weird going on, and I don't like the feeling in my stomach about it." She held up Ducky's shirt and looked at her through the slashed and hole-peppered back. "But you keep looking through those rose-colored glasses and snuggle up to your new daddy figure. Fuck everyone else, right?"

She stormed out with the laundry, leaving Eris pissed beyond measure. Neither Ducky nor Yukina said anything, the latter applying herb induced compresses to the former's ribs and back. It wasn't until she plopped onto the bed that the ice demon opened her mouth.

"Perhaps you should keep her words in mind."

Eris instantly went on defense. "What, now you're against me too? What about you Ducky? Anything? I'm a still target for tomato throwing."

"If you'd shut your face," the edge in his voice wasn't playing. "For one second and empty your ears of the Lone Rider wax buildup, you'd hear that she meant that you should take Alex's point of view into mind and see where she's coming from. She's worried about you. We _both_ are. That was some scary shit that went down today."

Eris sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. "I just can't help feeling that…I don't know!" She looked at her nails, picking at them, wings twitching with anxiety. "What he did was wrong, and I'm sorry, _really_ sorry, you got hurt, but…he's not as bad as everyone thinks! I know he's not!"

Ducky looked reserved as he achingly, slowly, moved around to lie in the bed on his stomach; Yukina was forcing him to try and sleep, not that it was going to be hard, his eyelids were heavy already. "For you, I won't pass judgment on him. For now. But I'm not going to pretend that nothing happened."

He yawned, burrowing his head into the pillow. "Say, you're a fire demon. Can you do that heating thing too? I'm cold. Get your butt over here."

"Sleep well you two," Yukina shut the door, her characteristic smile back in its proper place the last thing of her seen through the closing gap. It was relatively early in the evening yet, with a dim light in the gray, wet sky, but both were drained enough for sleep. Eris figured she'd nap and keep Ducky company for awhile. It was the least she could do. Ducky probably wouldn't accept anything more.

Feeling at least a tiny bit lighter, Eris smiled and snuggled up behind him, pulling the covers over them both. "And who's spot am I replacing?"

"Hiei," the blonde yawned again, drifting off faster with Eris' heat soothing his body's shakes. "Must've left when you guys stormed the door. Thanks a lot."

Eris craned her neck to look out the window. A smirk bloomed, seeing a familiar dark shape up in a tree close by the window. She caught Ducky's yawning bug and curled her left wing around them both, keeping the other tucked snuggly against her back. It had been a hellish night trying to find comfortable positions with the damn things. She'd almost opted to perch in a tree.

"Ducky, have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Mmm…no," he said in the light, fading voice of one falling asleep quickly. "But next time it's my turn to yell and be pissed off."

Eris awoke hours later, curled against Ducky and both of them tucked under her wing. She yawned once and sighed, mentally cursing. The nap had taken care of her sleepiness, and now she'd be up for the rest of the night. _Damn_. She hadn't meant to sleep that long.

Carefully lifting her wing and folding it back, Eris removed herself slowly from Ducky, trying not to disturb him. Those sneaking around lessons from Hiei were coming in handy. Going around to the other side of the bed, she kissed the blonde's head and escaped out the window.

With the moon in a waning crescent phase, there wasn't much light. Not that it mattered. Eris could see everything almost as well as if it were day. Passing under Hiei's tree she saw him lazily open an iridescent red eye at her. She smiled and gave a little wave.

"He's all yours!" she whispered, giggling to herself. Hiei glared, and went back to sleep with a grunt.

Stretching her arms and wings above her head, Eris shook herself out. A late night fly sounded relaxing right then. Still shaky on the take off, Eris managed well enough and was soon gliding peacefully above the temple. The air still felt wet, but the rise and fall of her wings was soothing. It was like daydreaming; only she really _could_ get her head in the clouds.

_Eris._

She blinked, coming out of the reverie upon hearing the call. Banking to one side, Eris circled down, enjoying the last bits of wind ruffling her hair and feathers. Spotting her caller, the phoenix demon glided in his direction and hovered a bit before finally dropping down a few feet away.

"You look beautiful up there," he smiled, the two of them falling seamlessly into a side-by-side walk.

"Eh. Still needs practice," Eris smiled back at him, letting out a satisfied breath, eyes bright. "So, a midnight walk under the stars and moon, Kurama? How romantic."

The fox didn't deny it. "I couldn't sleep. My mind has been busy all day."

Her mouth twitched down, but Eris wrapped an arm around his and tilted her head back to look at the sky. "Too bad you can't fly. It's great for clearing the mind."

"Mm." Kurama mused silently for a moment, just feeling her comfortable weight on his arm and near his body. He could smell her scent, and got lost in it. Hearing her talk startled him back to reality. Strange…that had never happened before.

"I know what you're thinking." Not likely. He'd probably get slapped if she did. "And I know I'm crazy for believing it, but…" Eris sighed, running a hand through her hair. Kurama followed the curves of her neck with his eyes as she looked up at the dark sky again.

"There's just something, a feeling I have…"

"Yes?" He prompted, drawing her closer.

"About Kenmei."

Kurama blinked, and visibly drooped. "What?"

"He didn't mean to hurt Ducky and Alex! I know he didn't!"

Kurama was the one who sighed now, rubbing his forehead. "Eris, I can't conceive even a semblance of a coherent thought about that."

She stopped and stood with her hands on her hips, looking with turned down lips at him. "Why not? Why does everyone hate him so goddamn much? He's been nothing but sweet and caring to me from the moment I met him!"

"One, he attacked your friends and nearly killed Ducky this afternoon," Kurama vainly tried to tear his eyes away from her lips; did she have to be so pretty when she was pissed off? "And two, he was the reason you were killed in the first place!"

"And also the one who saved my life!" Eris countered, pointing a finger at him. "If he wasn't a genius, I _would_ be dead right now!"

"He cared about saving his wife, not you. If not for the both of them, you'd be perfectly normal, happy, and safe at home!"

"I'm happier here than I ever was at home!" she shouted, and turned, hair whipping him as she went to storm off. "And I LIKE being a demon!"

"Eris!" Exasperated, Kurama strode after her and jogged until he was in front of her, stopping the girl by holding onto her arms. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Get your hands off of me!" She _was_ pissed. She even tried to hit him! Kurama caught both her wrists. "Let go! Kurama!"

"I'm not letting go until you calm down. You're upset over nothing."

"I'm upset because everyone expects me to see through their eyes, but no one's willing to see through mine!"

"That's because he's a _chameleon_ demon," Kurama re-caught a wrist that she managed to get away. "A leopard can't change its spots, but a chameleon can change its skin to match the leopard's spots. Do you understand?"

"He's not playing me to get on my good side, if that's what you mean," Eris gave a frustrated growl, and stamped her foot. "He's not! And I don't appreciate you thinking I'm stupid and—and blind!"

"I do not think you're stupid," he set her wrists down at her sides and rested his hands on her shoulders. "And you're not blind. You just…need experience in seeing past the glamour people and _especially_ demons can put on."

Eris sighed, biting the inside of her cheek and looking to the side. Kurama noticed it made her lower lip stick out slightly. The pouty look. Oooh dear…that was almost more than a man could bear.

By its own accord, his hand seemed to nudge her back by the chin, and without thinking, Kurama placed a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. He smiled at Eris' shocked and dazed reaction.

"Umm…"

"Are you going to keep in mind what I've said?"

"…What were we talking about?"

_At least I'm not the only one distracted now._ Kurama grinned. His fingers tucked a section of hair behind her ear. Everything in him was reluctant to step back from her, or stop touching.

Eris was completely…interested. And none too bemused. "Do you…I don't know," she laughed a little, looking away from his eyes and putting an embarrassed hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry, nevermind."

"You ought to start sharing your thoughts," Kurama's thumb softly roamed her cheek. It caught on her lower lip, and both became oblivious to anything else around them

"I would if I could remember what I was thinking before…" she murmured, wetting her lips and looking between Kurama's and his eyes.

"Before…?"

_Oh God, he's coming closer._ Eris' heart started jumping with exhilarating terror. "Before I wanted you to kiss me again. Or me to kiss you, and not so safely."

Kurama let out an air puff of a laugh, and he couldn't seem to stop grinning. "That is certainly speaking your thoughts." His close-standing body language and eyes commanded that neither of them look away. "We should intimidate each other like this more often then."

She barely managed to breathe out an "Agreed!" before both dove in for a kiss. Eris didn't really mind that after awhile her lips were starting to bruise, or that it was a little wet, and the hand tugging on the roots of her hair certainly weren't a bother (she was probably doing the same to him!), but the other one playing at the hem of her shirt was a concern. It really wasn't going to work if he tried pulling it off—

Her gasp made him purr and nip at her lip. Perhaps it was a little too hard, as she pulled away. Dazed, and wanting more of her, Kurama slurred an apology and went in to explore that neck he'd been so fascinated with earlier.

"What?" he asked in confusion as Eris stopped him. Her wary, unsure face spoke of something amiss. "What's wrong?"

"Your…eyes are gold." Eris sounded a little scared, lifting his hand from her waist. There were long, sharp claws growing. "And you scratched me, and…bit me!"

Kurama was just noticing something out of place on Eris as well. He pulled her up closer by the chin and hushed her protests (of course he was sorely tempted at stealing a kiss right then and there and never stopping).

"There's white just around your irises. And your nails—" he displayed her own hand by the wrist. "Aren't exactly dull. I thought I felt something pricking me…"

"Kurama, what the hell is this?" Eris was looking at her elongated nails in alarm. They were nearly as big as Kurama's.

"I think it means," he said solemnly. "That I should…regrettably…distance myself from you for a period of time. I think that you may be in heat."

* * *

**AN:** Whew! Finally done with the chapter. I planned on having it out earlier, but I lost the notebook that had my notes for the beginning. So that was a fun time, me going insane and about ready to kill someone. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and as always, thanks for your patience. Hope you enjoyed this one! 


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